Obit of Hodges, Gilbert Warren - Roger Mills County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Wanda Purcell 26 Dec 2010 Return to Roger Mills County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html ===================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ===================================================================== ::NOT LISTED Surnames: Hodges, McGilvery Originally posted at: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.oklahoma.counties.rogermills/9324/mb.ashx HODGES, Gilbert Warren (G.W.) Born 26JUL1845 Died 10NOV1910 A GOOD CITIZEN GONE Died at the hospital in the city of Guthrie, Oklahoma, Gilbert Warren Hodges, a citizen of Cheyenne, Oklahoma. He was born in Watauga County, North Carolina July 26, 1845 and died November 10, 1910. He entered the Confederate Army when sixteen years of age and served nearly to the close of the war, when he was imprisoned and when he was when he received his discharge at the close of the war. He married Miss Ella McGilvery of Bridston, Texas in 1881. They have been living in the western country for about twenty eight years and in Oklahoma about eighteen years---ever since the opening of this country. During the last six years Mr. Hodges was a consistent Christian and died with faith in God. It was the writer's good fortune to know him along and well and we only knew him to esteem him more highly at the years passed by. Today we miss his kindly smile and friendly greeting; we long in vain to hear the ring of his jovial laughter and to feel again his genial presence. Only yesterday we sat before his bier in the church near the scene of his many happy days. We stood by his open grave as the last sad rites were performed by the Masons of the city and as the clay of earth closed above his silent resting place, we said with the poet: "Cold in the dust the perished heard many die. But that which warmed at once can never die". As we stood beside his grave on yesterday when the sky was trimmed with her gorgeous rosy hue, in fancy we could see him, not in death's cold shroud of sorrow and despair, but smiling upon us from the sunset halo that mark God's farewell to the day; smiling with all the well remembered grace of his manhood, love and devotion and saying to use: "The sunset speaks but feebly of the glories of another day. All is well." He was a devoted husband and a kind and indulgent father; to his friends the soul of friendship. But the greatest of all was he as a man. and as a man it is that those ho knew him best most loved to contemplate him. He believed in the fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man. He believes that the man who scattered flowers in the pathway of his fellow men, who lets into the dark place o life the sunshine of human sympathy and human happiness, is following in the footsteps of his master. We understand his last words were expressive of peace in God and a willingness to depart and be at rest with Him. His cheerful, helpful life; his devotion to his wife and family, and kindness to everybody will long linger as a fragrant memory in the home which his presence brightened and which death has now darkened. Though he is gone his record has been made and will remain with us a lasting treasure. His life was gentle, but like the still waters, it was deep. In his heart of hearts he carried those he loved and his hand was never weary, his steps never failed in caring for and ministering to those who were in any way dependent upon him. The funeral services were held at the Methodist Church at 2:30 p.m. Sunday, November 13. Rev. Warren of Altus, Oklahoma officiating and paying a beautiful tribute to the memory of the deceased. The casket was covered with the most beautiful floral designs loving fingers ever wrought, all of which spoke of peace, purify and immortality. The music rendered was such as to soften all hearts and moisten all eyes. At the close of the services an unusual long procession followed the hearse to our silent city. At the open grave we say "farewell". May God's purest angels guard his slumbers. "How sweet a life was his; how sweet a death; Living to wing with mirth the merry hours, Or with his genial tales the heart to cheer; Dying to leave a memory like the hearth Of summer, full of sunshine and flowers, A grief and gladness in the atmosphere."Besides a devoted wife, he leaves an adopted daughter. We can only remind these mourners that he is not dead, he is asleep--resting after a long and well spent life here; he cannot and would not if he could, return to us; we can, if we will, go to him. Behind the storm clouds always lurks in the rainbow and when the storm is pass it weeps upon the flowers of the land and the pearl of dew. Darkness precedes the dawning and out of the blackness of night comes the sunshine and joy of the day. And so from the beauty of his life, take an inspiration and go forth to live as he lived, so that when the summons comes you may say as did he, "all is well". Cheyenne Star, Cheyenne, OK 17-Nov-1910 --------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Roger Mills Archives http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/rogermills/rogermills.html