NC, Lenoir County, Obits, Dr. James M. Hodges
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Copyright 2000 by Francis R. Hodges. This copy contributed
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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