Buster Keaton 20th Celebration visitors got a special treat Saturday — a small family reunion.
Three Keaton family members and an avid Buster Keaton admirer gathered on stage of the Bowlus Fine Arts Center to reminisce and give visitors a rare look into Buster Keaton, the family man.
Melissa Talmadge Cox, Buster’s granddaughter, Harry Keaton Jr., Buster’s nephew and Barbara Talmadge, Buster’s daughter-in-law and Melissa’s mother, traded memories with admirer David Macleod as moderator.
Melissa started the presentation with showing old family photos of the Keaton/Talmadge family.
She explained where the Talmadge family name came from. Buster married Natalie Talmadge in 1921. They had two boys, James, Melissa’s father, and Robert. After the divorce Natalie changed the boy’s last names to Talmadge.
Buster, in later years married Eleanor Norris. The group had nothing but pleasant memories of Eleanor.
“Buster loved his family,” Barbara said “He wasn’t materialistic and he loved being around people who he could relax with. That’s why he loved Eleanor; she would take care of everything.”
All three family members remembered Buster’s love for playing bridge. According to Barbara, he was a stickler for playing by the rules.
“By the time one person put down the first card he could tell you what was in everyone’s hand, he was that good,” Barbara said.
Harry, whose father was Buster’s brother, lived the first eight years of his life with Buster and remembers his uncle teaching him to play bridge and chess.
Buster was a restless soul and “couldn’t stop creating, even when he was sick he had to be doing something,” Barbara said.
“I remember he was always working with his hands,” Harry added.
The panel had more memories than time.
“This is the panel’s first visit (to the celebration in Iola), bring them back,” Mcleod said.
Family shares insights on Keaton’s life
