Genealogy Hunt...: February 2012

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Hodges Family History

The Hodges family (sometimes spelled Hodge) came to America from Wales. They migrated to Pennsylvania in 1776, then through the Carolina's and the Cumberland Gap into Kentucky, eventually to Indiana. In the early 1800’s the Hodges families were among the first settlers of Warrick County, Indiana. Gentry Hodges (1803-1864) settled in the area that was to become Owen Township perhaps as early as 1815-1818. Warrick County was formed in 1813, this area was little more than a wilderness at the time. It’s size is exactly twenty-four sections or square miles.

The Hodges family settled in Section 20 on a 40-acre plot of land. It is believed that the Hodges family home was on this farm, owned by Gentry Hodges. A plat map of Owen Township in 1880 shows Gentry’s sons W.F. Hodges and John Hodges as owners of the land. (William Franklin Hodges and John Hodges were the brothers of James Barnette Hodges). Close neighbors at the time were the Gentry, Leslie and Shelton families.

Source: Yesterday and Today, The Family of James Samuel Hodges, Sr.

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

http://www.scottcountygenealogy.org/search/label/Research%20Library

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

John Shelton Hodges

John Shelton Hodges was born in Warrick, Indiana on October 19, 1858 to James Barnette Hodges and Mary Ann “Polly” (Chambers) Hodges. 1 of 8 children, John grew up on the Hodges family farm in Owen Township, Warrick, Indiana. He met and married Hannah E. Lee, the daughter of Washington Hale Lee and Louisa (Leslie) Hodges on February 6, 1879 in Warrick, Indiana. This union produced 4 children, all living into adulthood. John removed his family to Blodgett, Missouri in 1890 with 4 of his 6 brothers. Just 3 years after settling in Missouri, John and his family returned to Indiana where sadly, Hannah passed away on August 11, 1893 at the age of 30 years old. Hannah is buried at Shiloh Cemetery in Warrick, Indiana. Her grave is positioned in the long line of Hodges graves but her tombstone reads with her maiden name Lee, wife of John S. Hodges.

Children of John and Hannah:

Alvah “Alvy” Hodges 1880-1932

Bertha Almeida Hodges (Taylor) 1882-1981

James Samuel Hodges 1885-1963

Martha Ann Hodges (Burns) 1888-1941

After the death of his first wife, John remarried on October 4, 1894 to Rebecca McFadden of Warrick, Indiana, the daughter of James McFadden and Elizabeth Betty (Frakes) McFadden and the family returned to Missouri. They settled into Sikeston, Missouri and this union produced 3 children, all living into adulthood. John unable to read and write, according to the U. S. Census supported his family as a farmer. In 1917 he moved from Sikeston, Missouri to a farm in Malden, Missouri where he continued farming until his retirement in 1934. John fathered a total of 7 children and was married to Rebecca for 44 years until he passed away at the home of his son Earlis at the age of 79 on October 2, 1938. He is buried next to his wife Rebecca at City Cemetery, Sikeston, Missouri. Rebecca passed away on December 22, 1955. John’s obituary states: “He was an industrious and upright citizen and endeavored to follow the teachings of the General Baptist Church, of which he was a member for fifty years”.

Children of John and Rebecca:

Earlis Hodges 1895-

Verless Voils Hodges 1900-1990

Gertrude Hodges (Patterson) 1907-

John and Rebecca's Headstone

Source: Biography written by Debbie West

John Shelton Hodges Obituary
Headstone Photo created by Sondra Jones Wills at Find A Grave Memorial # 28676782

Yesterday and Today, The Family of James Samuel Hodges, Sr.

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

http://www.scottcountygenealogy.org/search/label/Research%20Library

John Hodges family escape from Tornado

John Hodges home damaged in tornado
Sikeston Herald
May 2, 1940

The seriousness of the cyclone is told here where a story and a half frame house on the John L. Tanner farm near the Tanner community was gutted and raked by the wind. The occupants, members of the John Hodges family, escaped when they took refuge in a storm cellar.

Sikeston Herald
Entire Article

Monday, February 20, 2012

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.