USA > Missouri > Greene County > Past and present of Greene County, Missouri, early and recent history and genealogical records of many of the representative citizens, Volume II > Part 61
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Joseph J. Bodenhamer was born on November 20, 1834, in North Carolina and there he spent his early childhood, being eight years of age when his parents brought him to Missouri and here he grew up on the farm, working hard in helping clear and improve the wild land and he received a meager education in the early-day schools. He has devoted his life to general farming and is still active, living on the homestead east of Springfield. He has managed well and has made a success. During the Civil war he enlisted in the state militia, and served in the Federal ranks under General Holland, being in the same regiment with his twin brother, but the rest of his living brothers were in the regular Union army. After the war he returned to his farm and has since lived a quiet uneventful life. On January 6, 1859, he married Elizabeth W. Steele, of this county, and to them three children were born, namely, John A., James E., of Eldorado, Oklahoma, and Elizabeth E. The wife and mother died on December IO, 1870, and on November 13, 1871, he chose for his second wife Laura Farris. This union resulted in the birth of only one child, Louis F., subject of this sketch. The death of Mrs. Laura Bodenhamer occurred on January 19. 1898. Joseph J. Bodenhamer was in his earlier life a Democrat, but is now a Socialist. He is a member of the Christian church. He is a well- read man and an intelligent conversationalist. He is widely known and has friends all over the county, having lived here over three-score and ten years, and during this long period saw many important changes in the county and city.
Louis F. Bodenhamer was reared on the home farm and he received his education in the country schools, later taking a two-year academy course. On October 3. 1909, he was united in marriage with Iva Gerhardt, a daugh- ter of Fred J. and Mattie (Molder) Gerhardt. She was born in Camden
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county, Missouri, and was educated in the common schools. Her father is a prominent man in that county and holds the position of judge of the first district there. His wife is a native of Tennessee.
Louis F. Bodenhamer has remained on the home farm and is success- fully engaged in general farming and stock raising. He is a Democrat, and fraternally he belongs to Mumford lodge No. 738, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, in which he is past grand knight. He also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America.
THOMAS FOGARTY.
Special adaptability to any particular calling in life is the one necessary adjunct to permanent success. No matter what be the amount of vim and determination which characterizes a man's start in business, unless he is to the manor born he will ultimately find to his sorrow that his line has been falsely cast. and the quicker he draws aside and takes up another call- ing the better it will be for him, and perhaps for others as well. That young man is indeed fortunate who knows what he is fitted for by nature and starts out in his career along the line which he can successfully follow to the end; but few do this, as the records show. That Thomas Fogarty, organizer and proprietor of the Sanitary Plumbing and Heating Company, of Springfield, is especially fitted for the calling that now occupies his at- tention can not be doubted, for he has built up a large and rapidly grow- ing business, and his scores of patrons are always well satisfied with his work.
Mr. Fogarty was born in County Clare, Ireland, January 20, 1872. He is a son of Michael and Bridget (Keating) Fogarty, and a grandson of James and Mary (Linnane) Fogarty. James Fogarty was a native of the Emerald Isle, and there he devoted his life to farming and died in his native land at the age of eighty-four years. His wife died suddenly of cholera during the epidemic of 1847. They were Catholics. To them seven chil- dren were born, four sons and three daughters; three of the former and one of the latter came to America. Michael Fogarty was reared in Ireland, where he was married, and spent his life as a farmer, dying there at the age of sixty-two years. His widow is still living in Ireland, being now seventy-two years of age. James, one of their sons, emigrated to the United States a few years prior to the breaking out of the Civil war, and during the latter part of that conflict he was drafted into the Union army and served a short time. To Michael Fogarty and wife eleven children were born, four sons and seven daughters, namely: Patrick came to Spring-
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field, Missouri, when nineteen years of age, about 1878, and was yardmas- ter here for the Frisco Railroad for a period of twenty-five years, being finally killed by accident while on duty; John S. has remained in Ireland; Mrs. L. G. Schab lives in Quincy, Illinois; Katie is teaching school in Ire- land; Thomas, of this sketch; Mrs. James Bayner lives at Castle Bar, Ire- land; Michael died when twenty-one years of age; Mrs. John Waters is teaching school in Ireland; Mrs. Thomas Fogarty, who married a man of her own name, but no relation, lives in Ireland; Nora is single and lives in Springfield, Missouri; Nellie S. is teaching school in Ireland.
Thomas Fogarty, of this review, grew to manhood in Erin's Green Isle and there he received a good education, attending college until he was nineteen years of age, when, in the year 1891, he emigrated to America and came direct to Springfield, Missouri, where he has resided ever since, hav- ing liked the town and country from the first. Soon after his arrival here he secured a position as fireman with the Frisco and continued to work in this capacity for a period of six years, then was promoted to engineer and worked as such for two years. Finally tiring of the road, he turned his attention to the plumbing business, associating himself with the Standard Plumbing company here, which maintained offices on the south side. He seemed to have natural ability in this line of endeavor and soon mastered its various details. In 1908 he organized the Sanitary Plumbing and Heat- ing company, the present place of business of which is on East Commercial street. Under his able management this concern has grown to large pro- portions and is doing an ever-growing and lucrative business in general plumbing and heating. The firm is well equipped in every respect for prompt and high-grade service, keeping all modern apparatus and equipment and a full stock of well-selected material of all kinds, and a number of skilled artisans are constantly employed.
Mr. Fogarty was married on April 30, 1902, in Springfield to Laura O'Hara, a daughter of Jerome and Isabell ( Mudd) O'Hara, a well-known family here, Mr. O'Hara being president of the Citizens Bank of Spring- field for years, but is now retired. He was a native of Illinois. His family consists of seven children, namely : Frank J. is a traveling salesman and lives in San Antonio, Texas; L. J. is in partnership with our subject in the plumbing business : John is deceased ; Mrs. P. J. Turley lives in Spring- field; Laura, wife of the subject of this sketch; Mrs. J. J. Lawler lives in Springfield : Mrs. Mamie O'Hara lives in this city.
Jerome O'Hara, mentioned above, came to Springfield in 1895 and for many years was proprietor of the firm of O'Hara & Son, who were engaged in the dry goods business on East Commercial street, but later he went into the banking business. He has been highly successful as a business man and is a highly respected citizen.
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Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Fogarty, namely : Harry is deceased; Francis Thomas, Clarence J., John A., Isabell and Margaret.
Politically Mr. Fogarty is a Democrat. He is a member of the Catholic church. He is a prominent member of the Knights of Columbus, having been financial secretary of the local lodge for a period of eight years. In 1913, at the state convention of this order which was held at Joplin, he was elected supreme delegate to the convention at Boston, Massachusetts. He went from there back to Ireland to visit his mother, brother and sisters. He is also a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Mod- ern Woodmen of America, the Improved Order of Red Men and the Eagles. He is a jovial, obliging and open-hearted gentleman whom it is a pleasure. to meet, and he has a host of friends in Springfield and over this part of the state.
NELSON GARRETT BUTLER.
The farmers of this generation are learning that with the change of climate and general conditions in the Ozark region they must employ some- what different methods in tilling the soil, learning, among other things, that. continued cropping exposes the land to various weaknesses of the particular crop that is grown, and as no two crops extract the same proportion of plant food, the continually grown crop is bound to lessen the available fer- tility of one or more of the principal soil constituents. Rotation has the effect of making available all of the plant food element, and as the average soil is generally well supplied with fertile material, depletion will come that much sooner unless proper steps are taken to maintain the principal soil ingredients. These and many other problems of modern farming are well understood by Nelson Garrett Butler, a farmer of Republic township, Greene. county.
Mr. Butler was born near Ozark, Christian county, on a farm, October 24, 1857. He is a son of Benjamin and Emily (Morland) Butler, both of whom came from Michigan to Christian county, Missouri, in an early day or during the Civil war period, and shortly after locating here Mr. Butler joined the Union army, and was in a number of battles, serving sev- eral years, during which he contracted a disease which disabled him, resulting in his discharge from the service. He returned home, but soon contracted smallpox, which caused his death in March, 1862, and about a month later his- widow also died. They were the parents of eight children, namely : Frank is- living but his whereabouts are unknown; Will is engaged in farming in Ore-
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gon; Norman lives in Oklahoma; Fernando is deceased; Benjamin lives in Kepublic township; Nelson G., subject of this sketch; Mrs. Mary Myers lives in Oklahoma; the youngest child died in infancy. The parents of the above named children were living on our subject's grandfather s farm at the time of their deaths, and Nelson G. Butler continued to live with his grandfather for some time, then went to make his home with an uncle when about seven years of age, with whom he remained until he was ten years of age, when he went to live with an older brother, remaining with him about a year, after which he went to live at the home of Matt Martin and there he remained about six years, then came to Greene county and hired out to James Decker, but after a short time hired to Thomas Rose, for whom he worked two years, also worked for G. W. O'Neal two years, then went to California and lived in that state four years, working on a farm. Returning to Missouri he located in Cedar county, and a year later came back to Greene county and once more. took up his abode at the O'Neal home. Mr. O'Neal moved to Republic to look after his lumber yard there, and left our subject in charge of his farm. Later Mr. Butler rented Mr. O'Neal's farm and operated it for five years, and while there purchased eighty acres of land in section 13, Republic town- ship, built a comfortable home thereon and moved into it'. He has managed his affairs in a successful manner and is now owner of a productive farm of one hundred and seventy-six acres, on which he carries on general farming. and stock raising.
Mr. Butler was married on September 12, 1886, to Martha Britain, a daughter of James and Eliza (Wade) Britain. The father was born in this county, but the mother's birth occurred in the state of Georgia, and from there she came to Greene county, Missouri, when she was a child. She is one of nine children, named as follows: George, deceased; Nancy, deceased ; Thomas, deceased; James lives in Republic; Martha, wife of our subject ; Eliza is the wife of Albert White, of Republic; Harvey is deceased ; Harry and Laura, twins, the former lives in Pond Creek township, this county, and the latter is deceased. Mrs. Butler received her education in the common schools of Pond Creek township, where she grew to womanhood. Our sub- ject received his education in Christian and Webster counties.
Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Butler, namely: Elsie is the wife of Sam Brown, of Pond Creek township; Nadie is the wife of George O'Neal. of Republic : Maude is the wife of Ed. Mooneyham, of Pond Creek township; Frank lives with his parents and helps work the home farm ..
Politically Mr. Butler is a Republican, and has always voted this ticket in national affairs since reaching manhood. He and his wife and daughters are members of the Missionary Baptist church at Hopewell.
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JOHN PARKER TROGDON.
Farming has been considered a game of chance too long and the uncer- tainties of the elements have been overcome to such an extent by intelligent study and use of fertilizers, irrigation and drainage, and intensive cultiva- tion that day by day agriculture is becoming more and more an exact science and the best and brightest minds of the country have not thought it beneath their dignity or effort to give it the best of their genius. John Parker Trogdon, of Brookline township, Greene county, is a type of our better class of farmers, a man who uses more brain than brawn in operating his place. He has been successful both as farmer and merchant and also as a dealer in live stock. The reason that he has been able to succeed in whatever he has turned his attention to is because he plans well, is energetic in their execution, "preparedness" being his motto, in other words, he first decides that he is right, then goes ahead.
Mr. Trogdon was born near Ash Grove, Missouri, March 26, 1872. He is a son of Reuben and Phoebe (McDorman) Trogdon, the father of English descent, a native of North Carolina, the mother a native of Tenn- essee.
Seven children were born to Reuben Trogdon and wife, four sons and three daughters. namely : W. Clinton, Henry F., Loran E., all three live near Ash Grove, this county; John P., of this sketch: Lottie married F. H. Moo- maw. of Brookline township, Greene county ; Effie married D. G. Hendrix, also of Brookline township; Laura married Jay Mason, of near Bois D'Arc. Missouri.
John P. Trogdon grew to manhood on the home farm where he worked during the summer months, and in the winter attended the district schools. remaining on the farm with his father until he was twenty-one years of age, or until his marriage, then started farming for himself, renting a farm near Ash Grove, where he remained nine years, then moved to that city and engaged in general merchandising two years, after which he bought his present farm of one hundred and thirty acres near Brookline. His place is well improved in every respect and he keeps it under a high state of culti- vation. In connection with general farming he devotes considerable time to the breeding of Jersey cattle, and he is very successful with his fine stock. He has a modernly appointed, nine-room residence of the bungalow type. only a fourth of a mile from Brookline on the main highway between that place and the village of Battlefield. His spacious yard is sown with Ken- tucky blue grass, which has given the place the appropriate name of "Green Lawn." by which it is known throughout the neighborhood. Mr. Trogdon has numerous substantial outbuildings, including two large barns, one of
J. P. TROGDON AND FAMILY.
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which is especially equipped for the care of his milk cows and is kept sani- tary in all seasons. He has a concrete silo with a capacity of one hundred and fifty tons, a wagon and buggy-shed, a water-tank with a capacity of three hundred and fifty barrels, also a garage large enough for two cars.
Mr. Trogdon was married on March 6, 1894. to Dilla A. Johnson, a daughter of George A. and Jane Johnson, of near Halltown, and a native of Greene county, Missouri, where the family settled in the early thirties. having emigrated from Tennessee. Mrs. Trogdon grew to womanhood and was educated in her native community. The union of our subject and wife has resulted in the birth of two children, namely: Alta, born July 2, 1895. lives at home ; Mabel, born December 24, 1901, is also with her parents.
Politically Mr. Trogdon is a Republican and is influential in the affairs of his party. He has served several years as township committeeman and has done much toward the success of the party in the county in years past. Fraternally he belongs to Brookline Lodge, No. 328, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; also the Modern Woodmen of America, of Springfield. and the Anti Horse Thief Association, of Nichols.
Mr. Trogdon is one of the progressive and useful citizens of his town- ship and is ever ready to lend his support and encourage any movement having for its object the general good.
CECIL ALVIN BRIGGS.
By his close observance of fundamental rules of business, based upon honesty, rectitude and fidelity to trusts and confidences reposed in him, Cecil Alvin Briggs, secretary and general manager of the George-Briggs Lumber Company, of Springfield, has achieved success while yet young in years, won the public esteem and fixed his star in the ascendant. In all relations of life he is courteous and cordial in his friendships, cautious, temperate, ambitious, zealous, consistent, moral and circumspect in his daily existence, and punctuality is one of his maxims.
Mr. Briggs was born July 19, 1887, at Verona, Lawrence county, Mis- souri. He is a son of Sylvester A. Briggs, who was born September 26, 1847, in Fountain county, Indiana, and was of French-English descent. He grew to manhood in Illinois and received his education in the common schools near the city of Danville. He began life for himself as a school teacher and followed this profession for a period of upwards of fifteen years, in Douglas county, Illinois, where his services were in large demand and he became known as one of the leading educators of the county. Leav-
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ing the Prairie Same in 1885, he located at Verona, Missouri, where he engaged in the iumber business until 1910, also maintained his home for a time during that period at Siloam Springs, Benton county, Arkansas, where he has retail lumber interests. About five years ago he retired from active life, having accumulated a competency for his old age, and is now living quietly with his son, our subject, in the Briggs residence on West Commercial street. Springfield. The firm of Briggs & Wilks, with which he was connected in southern Missouri so long, became well known. He is now in his seventy-seventh year. Politically he is a Republican, always took an active interest in public affairs, was justice of the peace for a period of eight years, and was also secretary of the school board at Verona for a period of eleven years, filling these offices in a manner that reflected credit upon himself and to the satisfaction of the public. He is a devout member of the Christian church and for many years was an elder in the same at Verona. The mother of the subject of this sketch was known in her maidenhood as Frances Cannon, a daughter of G. N. and Elizabeth Can- non. She was a woman of many praiseworthy characteristics. Her death occurred October 2, 1909, at Siloam Springs, Arkansas. To these parents seven children were born, only two of whom are living at this writing, namely : Cecil A., of this sketch ; and Floyd E., who lives at Pittsburg, Kan- sas, is a brakeman on the Kansas City Southern Railroad, and is unmarried. Our subject's paternal grandparents were Augustus and Ruth (West) Briggs, natives of New York and Kentucky, respectively.
Cecil A. Briggs was educated in the common schools, graduated from the Verona high school, took a course in a St. Louis business college, and he began his business career in 1907, in the lumber firm of his father at Verona, where he remained until 1910, as office manager for the firm of Briggs & Wilks. He then came to Springfield as bookkeeper for the D. J. Landis Lumber Company, with which he remained until 1912, then went to Lamar, Oklahoma, as assistant cashier of the Bank of Lamar, remaining there until March 4, 1914, when he returned to Springfield and assumed his present connection with the George-Briggs Lumber Company, his pre- vious experience having made him familiar with every phase of the lumber business and rendering him entirely capable of assuming the responsible position he now occupies.
The George-Briggs Lumber Company is located at 425 West Com- mercial street. It was incorporated under the laws of Missouri, February 4, 1914, with a capital stock of fifteen thousand dollars, and the business was started on that date, with J. H. George, president; B. H. George, treasurer ; and Cecil A. Briggs, manager and secretary. Their yard is three hundred by one hundred and seventy-five feet and they have a neat office.
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a itil stock of well-selected number of all kinds, such as is to be found in any up-to-date lumber yard in this part of the country, is carried, and the business has been a success from the start. Their business is confined mosuy to Greene county, rour assistants are required in the yards. Be- sides mumber they handle sashes, doors, cement, plaster, sand, brick, etc.
Politically wir. Briggs is a Krepublican. He is a member of the Chris- tian church, and was formerly a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.
Mr. Briggs was married, first, in 1909, to Elsie Browning, a daugh- ter of George W. and Jane Browning. Her death occurred August 28, 1913, leaving two children, Genevieve and Jane. Our subject was married agam in 1914 to Flossie May Warden, a daughter of James L. and Dora ( Blackman ) Warden.
AUGUST F. PRUGGER.
It was the great philosopher Bacon who admonished us thus: "Read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider." Whether August F. F'rugger, foreman of the motor car room in the North Side Frisco shops, Springfield, was made acquainted with the above advice when a boy or not, he has always followed the proper course in his wide miscellaneous reading, believing with our own Benjamin Franklin that "reading makes a wise man," although our subject does not claim to be such. However, those who know him well have observed that he is well informed and is a close observer of everything that is going on about him. His honored father before him was such a man and evidently transmitted to his son many of his com- mendable characteristics.
Mr. Prugger was born August 18. 1863, at Whitewater, Wisconsin. He is a son of Joseph Prugger, who was born in Bavaria, Germany, where he grew to manhood, received a good education and there learned the trade of cabinet maker under his father, becoming an expert in the same. He remained in the Fatherland until he was twenty-nine years of age. then, about 1859, came to America in an old-fashioned sailing vessel, which required many weeks to make the long voyage. He landed in New York, and from there made a tour of the Southern states, finally locating in Wal- worth county, Wisconsin, where he continued his trade of cabinet maker. also worked at the Esterly Reaper Works, and later removed to Indian- apolis, Indiana, where he worked at cabinet making for sixteen years. He then went to Illinois and worked at his trade in Mattoon and Marshall. We
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next find him in West Superior, Wisconsin, where he lived retired, later removing to Milwaukee and made his home with one of his sons, dying there in 1910, at the age of eighty-six years, and was buried in that city.
The mother of our subject was known in her maidenhood as Mary Anna Ostermeyer. She was born in Bavaria, Germany, where she spent her girlhood and attended school, emigrating to America with her parents when fifteen years of age. The family located first in Milwaukee, later removing to Jefferson, Wisconsin, and there she resided until her marriage, at the age of eighteen. She is now living with her daughter, Theresa Prugger, and is now about seventy-six years of age.
Four children were born to Joseph Prugger and wife, three sons and one daughter, namely: Albert G. is employed by the Pawling & Harnish- feger Electric Crane Works at Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Frank, a contractor and builder of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, was for some time vice-president of the Milwaukee Construction Company; August F., of this sketch; and Theresa, who has remained single and lives in Milwaukee, was connected with the knitting industries of Illinois, Wisconsin and Minnesota, and was long head forelady and very expert in her line; she is now connected with a large wholesale fur house.
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