James Samuel Hodges Sr.

James Samuel Hodges was born in Anderson, Indiana on March 25, 1885.  He was 1 of 4 children born to John Shelton Hodges and Hannah E. (Lee) Hodges.  James was 5 years old when his family removed from Indiana into Missouri ultimately settling in Sikeston, Missouri.  At the age of 17 James married his bride Mary Irene Arnold, the daughter of Charles Mortimer Arnold and Laura Elizabeth (Woodward) Arnold in Charleston, Missouri on October 24, 1902.  This union lasted 8 years until the death of his young wife in April 1910.  The couple’s marriage produced 5 children, 4 of which lived into adulthood.  Mary Irene (Arnold) Hodges died at the age of 25 and is buried in an unmarked grave in the Silent Hill Cemetery near Blodgett, Missouri.

Children of James and Mary:

Laura Martha Hodges 1904-1904

John Shelton Hodges 1905-1974

Flora Ellen Hodges (Morse) 1907-1993

Wesley Mortimer Hodges 1908-1995

Sadie Mae Hodges (Patterson) 1909-1998

After Mary’s death, James married Mary’s 16 year old sister Minnie Arnold on May 23, 1910 in Sikeston, Missouri. The marriage produced 1 child, Thelma May Hodges that died of complications of malaria on August 25, 1912 at the age of 1 years old. Tragically, Minnie (Arnold) Hodges died the day before her 19^th birthday on September 18, 1912, just 23 days after her daughter.  Her death certificate shows the cause of death as “Acute Gastritis” caused by unknown poison.  The certificate does not indicate whether this was a suicide, homicide or accidental.   Both Minnie and her daughter Thelma May are buried at Hart’s Cemetery in Sikeston, Missouri.

Children of James and Minnie:

Thelma May Hodges 1911-1912

Thelma May Hodges
Death Certificate

Minnie (Arnold) Hodges
Death Certificate

On February 5, 1913 James married Mary and Minnie’s youngest sister Emma Thelma Arnold in Sikeston, Missouri.  Emma was 15 years old.  This union lasted 50 years until James’ death in 1963.  The marriage produced 10 children. Emma died on November 9, 1986.

James and Emma Hodges
Marriage License

James and Emma’s Children:

Cassie Thelma Hodges (Patterson) 1914-1988

James Finis Hodges 1917-1919

Margaret Pearl Hodges 1919-1939

Mary Irene Hodges (Carter, Gross) 1921-

Virgin Lorene Hodges (Mays) 1922-

Vera Gertrude Hodges (Wilkinson, Stafford) 1924-2007

James Samuel Jr. “Bud” Hodges 1926-

Bettie Ruth Hodges (McGregor) 1928-2004

Billy Gene Hodges 1929-

Preston “Pres” Hodges 1932-1991

James married 3 Arnold sisters and fathered a total of 16 children. He was a member of the IOOF Lodge in Sikeston, Missouri for 43 years.  He was also a member of the First Baptist Church and served on the Board of the Rootwad Grade School for all the years his children attended the school with the exception of 1 year.  Until retiring in 1948, he resided and farmed the John Tanner Farm for over 35 years.  15 of his children were born at his residence on the Tanner Farm.  (Wesley Mortimer was born in Arkansas).  In his later years, he resided in a nursing home in Bell City, Missouri until he entered the Odd Fellows Rest Home in Liberty, Missouri where he died there at the age of 78 on June 26, 1963.  James is buried with his third wife, Emma Thelma (Arnold) Hodges at Sikeston City Cemetery in Sikeston, Missouri.  

James and Emma Hodges Headstone

Source: Biography written by Debbie West

James Samuel Hodges Obituary
The Family of James Samuel Hodges, Sr.

Compiled by Ruth Hodges McGregor and Harold Lee Hodges, Winter 1999

Headstone picture by Find A Grave Memorial# 28093644 created by Sondra Jones Wills
* You may leave virtual flowers for this couple at http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=hodges&GSfn=james+&GSby=1885&GSbyrel=in&GSdyrel=all&GSob=n&GRid=28093655&df=all&