Sue Bodishbaugh Profile | Email Sue Bodishbaugh

Sue Bodishbaugh About 1912 In Little Rock, Arkansas, Carroll O'Callaghan and Fay Erion Bodishbaugh were best friends and school mates. They lived a block apart and both their fathers worked for the Missouri-Pacific Railroad, known as "MoPac," at the RepTrac [Repair Track]. Carroll's father was an engineer and Fay's father, Charles F. "Charley" Bodishbaugh, was a carpenter and had risen to supervisor of the Repair Shop. Carroll and Fay were about age nine one hot Arkansas summer when they snuck into a refrigerated boxcar loaded with lettuce. Refrigeration back then meant the lettuce boxes were packed with huge ice blocks. Young kids liked to sneak into the box cars, chip some ice and eat it, as we do popsicles. While in this particular car, the trainman came along to make his inspection, so the boys hid. The man was "walking the line," which meant he walked on the tops of the cars. He noted the open hatch on top of their car (their means of entry). This was a safety violation, so he closed and latched it. Off went the train to it's destination. For three days, two Arkansas families, law enforcement personnel, friends and neighbors frantically searched Little Rock and Pulaski County, believing the two boys had been kidnapped or murdered. Fay's uncle was Little Rock Mayor Ben Brickhouse, and he pulled every string he could for assistance. Three days later, somewhere in Texas, train personnel unloading a produce shipment found two sleepy, very frightened, very cool, young boys stowed away amongst their lettuce. They made the calls and arranged for the boys to return to Little Rock and the boys were placed them on a homeward bound train. In those days, every family member of a railroad worker had a pass that entitled them to ride free anywhere within the country. The boys didn't have their passes with them, but railroad workers were a brotherhood. The boys were okay. They were just cold, tired, hungry, and more than frightened at what might await them in the form of punishment. They'd repeatedly been told not to play on the railyard tracks. Fay's father Charles lost his six year old cousin Darryl Bodishbaugh in Illinois while gathering nuts with friends. Darryl had been run over by a train, his body cut into thirds. Every train family had horror stories. The exact greeting of the boys was never recounted in the telling of this family tale. Uncle Donavan Bodishbaugh (Fay's brother) said both sets of parents were so elated to find their boys alive, there was no punishment. And to his knowledge, throughout their lives, neither Fay nor Carroll ever ate lettuce again. Sue Webb Bodishbaugh

Feb 23, 2006 · posted to the surname O'Callaghan

Sue Bodishbaugh During the 1930s and 1940s, James Albert Dreher was employed with the school system of Foreman, Arkansas as a handyman, janitor, and he drove the school bus for over ten years. It was during this time he became Santa to the children of Foreman. Some of Uncle James' former student bus riders came forward with delightful memories, assuring us the students well remember Uncle James. They recalled him singing to the kids, sometimes in Choctaw, his favorite language, and a sound they found fascinating and always quieted to. They recalled his kindness, how he always sensed when they had problems or troubles and how he went out of his way to cheer them. Mostly, the children of Foreman remember Uncle James for Christmas. Each Christmas morning, students who rode Uncle James' bus, those who would not ordinarily have a Christmas, found a large box had mysteriously appeared on the front porch of their house. Inside were small gaily wrapped gifts, groceries, oranges, apples, candy, and nuts. Each box also contained a brand new pair of shoes for the bus-riding child. How did Santa know the size? No one knows. The Christmas boxes remained the "Foreman Santa Claus Mystery" for many years. One year, several older students - perhaps ten or twelve years old - made the decision most children do at that age. They made a pact to stay up late or get up early Christmas morning and catch Santa in the act. Several children didn't make it but those too excited to sleep were awake, up and dressed, waiting for Santa long before the dawn. What they observed became a treasured secret among the children of the community for many years to come. Uncle James' truck pulled up and James and Mela got out, got a box from the truck bed, carried it across the yard, and quietly set it down on the front porch. Some children remembered the sound of James and Mela's boots crunching in the icy morning snow. After the box was delivered, James and Mela turned and left just as quietly as they arrived – smiling, and sometimes holding hands. They got back into the truck and headed for the next house, where the children observed them repeat the pattern of Christmas box delivering. The children never told their parents or Uncle James what they knew, fearing the gifts would cease. It was a secret the older children only whispered about. They knew who Santa Claus was. When a little one was finally old enough to be trusted with the secret, it was a crossing into the threshold of adulthood. Times were hard in the 1930s and 1940s in Foreman, a rural farm and ranch area with a hometown-type downtown we can only dream about today. Hard-hit by the Depression and the Dust Bowl, families with a pair of new shoes received a major financial windfall. Oranges, candy, sweets and small gifts were luxuries only seen at Christmas. Uncle James and Aunt Mela had one son, Billy Joe Dreher. Neither Aunt Mela nor Uncle James were large in stature, but baby Billy Joe was a big baby and he did not survive the birth. This is how Uncle James told the story: ”My son Billy Joe weighed over ten pounds and was 24" long. He was born dead in 1939. He was so big. You didn't take a woman in labor to the hospital back then and we had to have the doctor come to the house. We had to meet him about four miles off from the house with a wagon and team to get him to where we was living at the time and he'd come as far as he could in his car. The river was swollen and you couldn't get the car across, so I'd meet him with the team there. And every day he'd come down to see Mela while she was a-laboring. This went on for many, many days. Billy's head was just too big. You couldn't do nothing for the hurting. It drove her crazy. When they put the forceps on and pulled him to try to get him out, they broke his neck and he was born dead. He's buried in Tom Cemetery in Tom, Oklahoma.” Uncle James and Aunt Mela were unable to have more children, so they adopted the children of Foreman. Aunt Mela eventually lost her mind to her grief and had to be cared for. Uncle James hired people to come in, keep the house, and be with Aunt Mela. After she died, James married Mela's loving and gentle caregiver, Marie (Franco) Yeager. In October 1997, after a reunion in Little Rock, the family caravanned cars south to Foreman, Arkansas and spent the day visiting with Uncle James and Aunt Marie. I teased him about his long white beard and resemblance to Santa. I could tell he was thinking of something and his blue eyes really did twinkle. In 2002, a family member ran into one of Uncle James' former bus students. She told the Santa Claus story and put us in touch with other students, who verified it. Now we understand that twinkle and the tug on his white beard. He was reminiscing! Uncle James told us many stories of his life, but he never said a word to anyone of this generous act of love and charity. Now we know. And now you know, Foreman, Arkansas. * James Albert Dreher died January 9, 2004, at De Queen, Arkansas. He was 88 years old. Graveside services were held at 2 p.m. on January 12, 2004. James was buried at Tom Cemetery, McCurtain Co, Oklahoma, near his parents, some siblings, his son, and his wives, Mela (Cowling) Dreher and Marie (Franco) Dreher.

Apr 13, 2004 · posted to the surname Dreher

Sue Bodishbaugh "The Family Bread and Butter Story." In the summer of 1884, Alvine Pofahl and Gottlob Kayser were both immigrants, working in Buffalo, New York. Like most immigrants, their normal work day was 12-hours, six days a week. That left little time for courting. 17-year old Alvine was an upstairs maid at a railroad boarding house for rail employees on layover. Gottlob was a boilermaker (a welder) for the railroad. One day, Alvine was called downstairs to the kitchen to help make bread and butter sandwiches for the mens' lunches. Alvine had been eying Gottlob and she liked him, so she put lots of extra butter on his sandwich. It so happened Gottlob did not like butter, and that evening he complained to the landlady. Alvine got into lots of trouble and she was demoted, she was sent back upstairs. BUT, she had accomplished her mission - she got Gottlob's attention! They were married January 3, 1885. Ten months later their first child, Christian was born. His nine siblings followed in "normal spacing," 18 months apart.

Mar 12, 2004 · posted to the surname Pofahl

Sue Bodishbaugh The story was told at the family reunion in 1994. When Agatha was born, she had red hair. That morning she lay sleeping in the crib in the corner of the bedroom. The sunshine highlighted the red in her hair. A neighbor came to see the newborn and remarked how lovely she was. When she asked the child's name, Agatha's mother said, "Agatha, but we haven't decided on a middle name yet." The visitor said, "Well, she looks like a gift from heaven, lying at the bottom of that sunbeam." And so it was: Agatha Sunbeam Bodishbaugh. Born 22 Jan 1900-Grayville, Illinois. Died 15 Sep 1958. Married William Thomas Taylor.

Mar 12, 2004 · posted to the surname Bodishbaugh

Sue Bodishbaugh Typo - this should be BLOOMFIELD, Indiana.

Jun 03, 2003 · posted to the photo Bloomfield School, 8th Grade

Sue Bodishbaugh Clara Elizabeth (Bodishbaugh)(Mrs. Byron Charles "By") Jennings; bc1866-Grayville, White Co, IL, d.19 May 1940-Grayville, White Co, IL; Anna May (Bodishbaugh)(Mrs. Clifford J.) Toops, b.8 Aug 1878-Grayville, Edwards Co, Il, d.aft 1920, prob. Elizabethton, Hardin Co, KY, md.11 Sep 1898-White Co, IL, dtr: Mabel Katherine Toops bc1900. 2 of the dtrs of Marie Angeline (Mary) Fischer and Antoine Michael (Tony) Bodishbaugh, of Schwedenburg>Ohio>Ind>Ill.; one of the settlers of Crossville, White Co, IL.

Apr 22, 2006 · posted to the photo Sisters, Clara & Anna Bodishbaugh

Sue Bodishbaugh I have her lengthy flowry obit typical of the era, and copy of the funeral invitation card; and same for Anthony "Tony." Sue

Jul 26, 2004 · posted to the photo Tombstone: Bodishbaugh, Mary A.

Sue Bodishbaugh We are researching the Krumbholz/Zopf line. Appreciate any help from family members. Sue

May 10, 2004 · posted to the photo ZOPF, George & Ruby's 50th Wedding Anniversary

Sue Bodishbaugh Sorry. That should be Arch Street Pike, not Ironton Road. Sue

Apr 13, 2004 · posted to the photo Louis Christian KAYSER and first born

Sue Bodishbaugh Dana M.(Webb) Hastings md.Howard Yeager, s/o Bessie Hubbard & John F. Yeager. John & Bessie of Hamlin, Lincoln Co, WV. Children Harry, Howard, Mabel, Patrick, Frnaklin, Sylvia, b.Seth, Boone Co, WV. Chuck Yeager was a first cousin.

Aug 02, 2003 · posted to the photo Dana (Webb) Yeager, Dancing With Her Son

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