George Hodge

GEORGE HODGE was the tenth of eleven children born to Frank and Lydia Hodge on August 8, 1923 in Bishop, Texas. He grew up and was educated in Kingsville, Texas Public Schools and graduated from Frederick Douglass High School in 1940. At the age of 16, he learned to drive 3 ton dump trucks and worked south of Kingsville delivering gravel used in construction of highways in south Texas. From 1942 until March 1943, he drove taxi for the Day and Night Taxi Company in Kingsville, Texas. In March 1943 he was drafted and joined the U.S. Army and served honorably until January 1946 as a Quartermaster truck driver (Tech -5) of 3 ton trucks delivering troops, gasoline, ammunition, medicine and food for General George Patton's 3 ^rd Army in France and Germany during World War II. Following the war, he returned to Kingsville and worked for the Missouri Pacific Railroad as a brakeman, and drove taxi as a second job.

He met and married Augustine Jefferson in 1947. This union was blessed with two daughters and two sons; Carolyn, Carlos, Kermit and Charlotte. In 1953, He moved his family to New Orleans, Louisiana to acquire steady work as a railroad fireman for the Kansas City Southern (KCS) Railroad. He worked for the KCS for 34 years and retired following a medical disability. During his tenure he became the first black engineer in 1972 to work for KCS from New Orleans to Kansas City.

George was preceded in death by his wife Augustine, his son Kermit (Ingrid), his grandson David, his parents and ten siblings. He entered eternal rest peacefully on Thursday, September 16, 2021 at 4:00 am.in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He leaves to cherish his memory: his daughters Carolyn Watson of Wash DC, Charlotte Hill (John) of Colorado Springs, Colorado and son Carlos Hodge (Janet) of Cedar Park, Texas; his ex-wife Bessie Hodge of LaPlace, Louisiana; grandsons Philip Frank Hodge of Whitefish, Montana, Brandon Hodge (Heather) of West Aurora, Il, and Joshua Hill of Castle Rock, Colorado; granddaughters Karen McDowell (Ivan) of Wash D.C., Cara Shaw and Vanessa Shaw of Cumberland, Maryland, Victoria Howard (Darrin) of Memphis, Tenn, Christina Parks (Scott) of  Hesperia, Michigan, Amber Lima (James) of Leander, Texas, Ivy Hill of Houston, Texas, Andarla Hodge (Tim) of Denver, Colorado, Kelli O'Dea (Paul) of Spring, Texas, 11 great grand children, 3 great, great, grandchildren, and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.