Notes for: George Washington Bodine
His birth date has also been given as 1858. I did have his death info as 1920 in Hugo, Choctaw, OK, but RB had other info.
Margaret Marline Bodine said, "Grampa was a minister, but did not believe in taking a salary for teaching the word of God. He and Papa, who had came home to help him when his stepmother died; came to Grandpa Thomasson's that year and hired on for the hay baling season. Mother was bucking the hay bales that summer onto the wagon Papa was driving, 'nary missing a beat' according to him.
"After the marriage, Mother and Papa moved in with Grandpa George and maintained that arrangement, either living in the same home or separate homes on share cropping properties adjoining one another until Grandpa's death at Enid, Oklahoma in the summer of 1927 (according to Papa, and he was never wrong on his memories, my oldest sister Dorthea Fay (later changed her name to Peggie Jean) was two years old when Grandpa died. She was born April 5, 1925. Grandpa died of stomach cancer. He was a healing minister and for whatever reason, Papa requested that an autopsy be performed. The speciman was sent to the Mayo clinic at Oklahoma City, and they performed the procedures there. I suppose it is possible there might still be records of that. I do know he had to be buried at Potter's Field; where that was located within the coiunty, I don't know. That was one of Papa's greatest shames he carried, until I pointed out him that Grandpa was buried in Potter's field because he truly believed in what he preached and never did take a penny for the work he did for God..."
Betty Strawther (BettyAStrawther at aol.com) has a picture of George and his daughter "Ree" (by Martha), Ethel, Edith, and step daughter, Victoria French, and son George Milburn Bodine given to her by Katheryn Early, granddaughter of George. Hugo or Sawyer in Choctaw Co., OK may be place of death or burial.
It appears that Nora married a French first. Here is a message concerning this:
From: Barbara Clark [bclark132 at cox.net]
Sent: Tue, September 10, 2002
Subject: Would love to have picture--Bodine, George W./Nora French Lee
I believe that Nora French Bodine is my great Aunt, Nora Lee, daughter of Levastus mcKinney Lee and Alice Jane Ellis. They moved from Dallas County, Ar to Red River County and were there in 1900. Some of the family went back and were in Sevier County, Ar in 1920, but I could not find Nora. Her father, L.M. Lee and some of the family were in Fannin County in 1910. I was told by a cousin that he thought Nora, who was a twin to Dora, married a Bodine and that she died rather young. I did not knw about the marriage to French and am curious because her twin, Dora, married Amos French and they were in Sevier County, Ar in 1920 then Cotton County, Ok in 1930.
I would love to have a copy of the picture if you can pass on the word for it to be sent to me. Do you have any source for the info re marriage to French or where and when she and George Bodine married...
Thank you so much.
Barbara Clark
From Ronny Bodine:
From Howard County, Arkansas Marriage Records:
George W. Bodine, 46 AND Mrs. Nora French, 27, both of Holly Creek, Howard County, were married 9 May 1905. [Note: On 6 July 1903 in Red River County, Texas Nora Lee was married to L. S. French.]
Martha (Wells) Bodine was the daughter of Pinckney and Nancy E. (Ford) Wells. The Bodine family was living 1910 in Fannin County. George said Nora was his 2nd wife and in their 7 years of marriage she had borne 3 children, all then living. Nora (Lee) Bodine was the daughter of Levastus McKinney and Alice Jane (Ellis) Lee with whom she was living 1900 in Red River County, Texas. George Bodine, now widowed, was living 1920 in Fannin County working as a laborer. According to his granddaughter Margaret Bodine Burgan, writing in Jan 2008, George Bodine was a minister and founded a church in Oklahoma that still exists. He was a healing minister and refused to take any payment for doing the work of God. He died of stomach cancer and was buried in an unmarked grave in Potter's Field.
The Texas Certificate of Death for Nora Bodine states she was found 7 May 1912 and the cause of death noted: "Dont know had been dead about 30 months/minutes when I saw."