NC, Lenoir County, Obits, Dr. James M. Hodges ========================================================= USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, data may be used by non- commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be repro- duced in any format for profit or for presentation by other persons or organizations.   Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than stated above must obtain the written consent of the file contributor. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access.   Copyright © 2000 by Francis R. Hodges. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Francis R. Hodges fhodges@flsouthern.edu ========================================================= Obituaries and Tributes - Dr. James M. Hodges Note: James Marcus Hodges was born February 14, 1862, in Falling Creek Township, Lenoir County, NC, and died in Lenoir County on September 12, 1920. He was the oldest son of Simon E. Hodges (1832-1897) and Persis Harper Hodges (1843-1908). He was educated at the Kinsey Institute in LaGrange and the Univesity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and he studied medicine at Belview Hospital in New York. He married first Emma Fields (1864-1916), by whom he was the father of five children, all named below. His second wife was Julia Daly Hodges (1871-1943), the widow of his brother, Francis Roland Hodges, Sr. (1865-1915). The following obituaries and tributes were taken from newspapers shortly after Dr. Hodges' death on September 12, 1920. Unfortunately, the names of these newspapers were not retained with the clippings, but all of them appear to have been published in Lenoir County. Obituaries Dr. J. M. Hodges Dead Dr. J. M. Hodges, well known in the southern section of this country, where for years he enjoyed wide popularity as a physician, died at his home near LaGrange Sunday night, Sept. 12, of idigestion. His health had not been robust for some years, owing to which he had retired from the active practice of medicine, and was living on his farm. It was not realized by his family that he was seriously ill, if indeed he realized it until late Sunday afternoon. He had been in his usual health, complaining a little Sunday morning of indigestion. Late in the afternoon he grew worse, and after administering such remedies as he deemed best, and getting little or no relief, Dr. Smithwick was called in. All that could be done to relieve him was done, but about the hour of ten he gasped a few times and peacefully passed into the beyond. He was interred in the family burial plot in the LaGrange cemetery Monday afternoon in the presence of a large number of friends and relatives. Rev. Perry Case, of Wilson, and Rev. R. G. L. Edwards, of LaGrange, the first of the Christian church and the latter of the M. E. Church, of which latter church the deceased was a member, conducted the funeral services. The floral tributes were most profuse, attesting the high esteem in which Dr. Hodges was held by is friends and neighbors. He is survived by his wife, three sons, Messsrs. Walker and Harry Hodges, of Belhaven, Mr. Joe Hodges, of LaGrange; and two daughters, Mrs. Alonza Kennedy, of LaGrange, and Mrs. John McGoogan, of Raeford. Dr. Hodges was twice married; his firsrt wife being a native of this county, Miss Emma Fields, daughter of Mr. Henry Fields, a member of the well known Fields family of the Fieldsboro section, who preceded him to the grave, in 1916. In 1918, he was united in marriage to Mrs. Roland Hodges, of Lenoir County, who survives him. We knew him in his home, as a citizen, a Christian and as a physician, in all of which stations we learned to admire and respect him. He was a member of the Methodist church, and a Mason. Of sympathetic, kind disposition, a student and well prepared for the practice of his chosen profession, he was a popular physician and when he announced a few years ago that he was retiring from the active practice of medicine there were expressions of regret, and in many homes there was sadness because he would answer the call no more when pain and sickness visited the home. A good and useful man has gone to his reward. Death of James M. Hodges With much surprise and deep regret the community learned of the death of Dr. J. M. Hodges, which occurred (sic) at his home four miles from town about ten thirty Sunday night. Though he had been slightly ailing for a day or two, his death was entirely unexpected. The immediate cause was chronic indigestion. He had not quite completed his fifty-ninth year. Dr. Hodges was one of the best known and best loved physicians of the county. For more than thirty years he had practiced his profession, being located the whole while at La Grange. He was a personal friend to all his patients, sympathetic and kind to all. About two years ago he gave up active practice and removed to the country. Dr. Hodges was the son of the late Simon Hodges, a farmer with large holdings in Falling Creek township and widely known for his sterling and manly qualities. Of this family, three only survive, Mess. Paul and Robert Hodges and Mrs. Hugh Bryan. "Mark." As Dr. Hodges was familiarly known, received his school education in the school of Prof. Joseph Kinsey, afterwards taking a course in medicine and locating here. Shortly after beginning his practice, he was married to Miss Emma Fields. To them were born five children After the death of his first wife, Dr. Hodges was married to Mrs. Julia Hodgss.. His oldest son, Walker, is a successful civil engineer, now located in Belhaven. The second son, Harry, also lives there. One daughter, the wife of Prof. J. E. McGoogan, lives at Raeford. His other daughter is Mrs. Alonzo Kennedy of La Grange. The youngest son, Joe, a youth of seventeen, is a student of Trinity College. The burial services were held Monday afternoon in Fairview Cemetery and conducted by Dr. .P. B. Case and Rev. R. G. L. Edwards. A large concourse of friends attended the service. ********************* Tributes Dr. James M. Hodges The sudden passing of Dr. Hodges last Sunday night produced a distinctive loss to the citizenship of Lenoir county and saddened to no small degree an extended community. His unasssuming counsel, always of value, his very soul brimming with a kindness unstained by a clamorous deception had bound him to a multitude with hoops of steel. The Lenorian feels that the following statement by Mr. John H. Rouse, a lifelong friend of the deceased physician, will accord with the feelings of no few. "Dr. Hodges and I were born the same day, February 14, 1862. After he graduated in Medicine he came to LaGrange for active practice and was my family doctor until the time of his retirement. Our association had been one of prolonged pleasure and his faithful service and warm friendship had endeared him to me as a brother and burying him was the most heart rendering service I have performed since having an undertaking business. My heartfelt sympathy goes out to Mrs. Hodges and others of his family in this sad hour of their bereavement." Letter from Dr. Parrott I am very much impressed with the tribute of respect my highly esteemed and life long friend, Mr. John H. Rouse, recently paid the late Dr. J. M. Hodges. I join with Mr;. Rouse and thousands of others in extending my sympathy to Mrs. Hodges and the family because of their bereavement. In the death of Dr. Hodges Lenoir county and North Carolina have lost a most valuable citizen. He was born Feb. 14, 1862, the son of a great farmer and a splendid gentleman, Simon Hodges, and a member of a distinguished and a large family. He was one of a long list of successful men educated by that grand old educator, the universally beloved Prof. Joseph Kinsey. Dr. Hodges was well born and well bred, and it was to be expected that he would make good in life and he did. His many sterling qualities endeared him to almost countless numbers of friends. As a man he was patient and kind; as a friend he was true and loyal; as a physician he was simply great. Nearly twenty-six years ago I located in Kinston for the practice of medicine. For nearly a a quarter of a century I have known many of the very ablest of the practictioners of medicine in North Carolina. I can truthfully say I have not met at the bedside of a man who held a clearer understanding, a more thoughtful discrimination, a better ability for diagnosis and practical interpretation of clinical records than Dr. Hodges. He was preeminently a practical man. He was not "the first by whom the new was tried" nor was he "the last to lay the old aside." Naturally conservative, broad visioned, even balanced mentally, he brought into play all his fine and cultivated qualities and as a result we have not had a better man in the field of medicine in eastern North Carolina in this generation. I can bear testimony, as can hundreds of others, to his strong personality and his sympathetic understanding and kindness to all. He was my friend for years. I valued him second to none. I grieve because of his departure. Standing by his grave this thought came to me, as doubtless in substance it came to many others. "Green be the grass above thee, Friend of my youthful days, None knew thee but to love thee, Nor named thee but to praise." Dr. J. M. Parrott