"Bob" - Morsell Emmett Hodges  

Above Bob Hodges in the the boat to the left, Al Schlabach standing on the pier fishing. this is from Cathy Schlabach Keller's photo's.

Fishing in Lake Maxinkuckee has been a favorite past time for years. Many of the longtime old fisherman are gone - one is Bob as he was known - and many others.

I remember meeting Bob as a kid, a new neighbor back in 1964 - when we moved onto South Plymouth Street [the house is no longer there - the property became part of the Culver Cove. He was a very un-assuming man, friendly; always out fishing when not working in the yard or on radios and TV's; or at work . Upon coming in with a batch of fish he wo uld clean them - prepare them for freezing and fry up a batch - they were scrumptious!

Till he died I did not know his true given name - as everyone referred to him as "Bob" - little did I know the real story of Bob - he never bragged - he was just a simple man - a friend to all.

Between Bob and mutal neighbor William Hampton my brother and I did not have to worry about having someone around that we co uld go to if needing help while mom was at work and dad was at the Lakeshore Garage managing it all day. Between the two they were the protectors of the neighborhood children which at that time was us and the Willhite's who lived on the corner of Mill and Plymouth Street.
In 1968 we moved from Plymouth Street to Lakeshore Dr. - once and while I would see Bob around town and then in June 1972 I came back to the South end of town.

Sometime after the closing off of Winfield St. David started anchoring his boat off of Bob Hodges pier and this the old friendship re-kindled.







The following article appeared in the Culver Citizen at his death and the other was prepared by the family and handed out at the funeral.

Fisherman 'Bob' Hodges Dies

A Culver man known for his fishing prowess and love of Lake Maxinkuckee passed away Sept. 4 at the age of 93.

Morsell E. Hodges, 316 S. Plymouth St., Culver , known to everyone as "Bob", died at 12:15 a.m. in St. Joseph's Hospital of Marshall County, Plymouth, following an illness.

"Bob" was a fisherman's fisherman and his secret lake charts have gone to his family, according to his daughter Thelma M. Moorhead of St. Croix, Virgin Islands.

He fished Lake Maxinkuckee every day it was possible, through the ice as well as in the summer waters. He also fished in Michigan, Wisconsin, and the Virgin Islands.

In Lake Maxinkuckee he went after blue gill, perch, walleye, bass and catfish. In Wisconsin he was in pursuit of Coho salmon. In the Virgin Islands he was thrilled when he caught a shark.

Many of his fish were given to friends and relatives, but he did loved to fish "for the challenge", said his daughter.

She would not give away the fishing secrets he left to the family but she did revel that he marked his Lake Maxinkuckee coordinates in line with the following:

• 1. Small tree trunk in line with the East chapel window.
• 2. Walker water tower over dead cotton wood on Frank Ravoldi's lot near Hazel Hills

He said that for the Dave Burns spot line up:

• 1. Telephone pole at Kine's TV Shop in line with bank's air conditioner.
• 2. Tree in front of beach lodge in line with third west bay window of lodge.

For Weed Patch:

• 1. Walker's water tower over Janet Hiler's.
• 2. Academy's water tower west end of library.

For Deep Water:

• 1. Walker's water tower between Janet Hiler's and red roof.
• 2. Academy's water tower east end of library.

He did all his own cooking, including the fish, of course, and also grew a garden of vegetables for himself and friends and neighbors. Recently he put in some raspberry bushes. He was interested in mushrooms.

Every Saturday, he went to the Culver VFW to "be with boys", according to his daughter

The son of Virginia Morsell and Charles Hodges, he was born Sept. 16, 1902 in Cedar Green, Va. His father was a Methodist circuit rider minister.

"Bob" received a bachelor's degree from West Virginia State College, Norma, in 1924. Nicknamed "Rev.", he played football and was named All_American according to his daughter. He earned a master's degree in German from Howard University, Washington S.C. in 1937.

During his college summers, he waited tables and eventually came to Culver to work as a waiter at Culver Military mess hall.

He met his wife, Thelma Scott in Culver . They were married Dec. 20, 1930 in Chicago. She died March 15, 1990.

Surviving in addition to his daughter are a sons, Charles M. Hodges of Silver Springs, Md.; a granddaughter {sic grandson}, Shelly E. Moorhead and three grandsons, Christopher Moorhead, Charles M. Hodges III and Jason Hodges. He was preceded in death by two sisters and two brothers.

A Culver resident for the past 70 years, he was a retired foreman at IRECO Aluminum, Plymouth, and later worked at the State Exchange Bank, Culver .

A memorial service and visitation were held at Bonnie Funeral Home, Culver . Burial was in Culver Masonic Cemetery.

You cannot step twice into the same river
for other waters are continually flowing in. - Herselitus.

---

Celebration of Life
for
Morsell Emmett "Bob" Hodges
September 16, 1902 - September 4, 1996

Eulogy

"bob" as he was affectionately known, was born in Cedar Green, Virginia on September 16, 1902, the youngest of five children born to Charles and Virginia Hodges. He grew up and attended schools in and around many towns in West Virginia, Virginia, and Maryland as his father was a Methodist minister who had a circuit of churches in those areas.

His undergraduate college years were spent at West Virginia State College in Institute, West Virginia, where he played football and was known as "Rev" Hodges. Bob furthered his education by attending graduate school at Hoard University in Washington D.C. graduating with a Master's degree in German in 1937.

As many young Afro-American college men did in those years. Bob worked summers on the railroad as a waiter in the dining cars. His travels with summer employment eventually led him to Culver , Indiana where h worked as a waiter in the mess hall at the Culver Military Academy. It was here that he met and married Thelma Scott who preceded him in death in 1990. From that union came to children, Thelma Hodges Moorhead St. Croix Virgin Islands, and Charles Morsell Hodges of Silver Springs, Maryland.

He eventually left the Academy and worked at Kingsbury munitions plant for a short time and finally worked for IRECO Aluminum factory in Plymouth, Indiana, retiring as plant foreman in 1967.

He also was a licensed radio and TV technician and was constantly in demand because of his skills in repairing TV's and radios.

Bob had very few idle moments. When he wasn't studying and classifying mushrooms, he was learning the intricacies of hydroponics so that he co uld have the best tomatoes, peppers, and other vegetables growing in his square foot garden. Wine making was another hobby that he delved into with much enthusiasm. Many neighbors and friends, as well as family can attest to this.

His greatest love, however, was fishing and fish he did - for Cohoe salmon in Wisconsin to shark fishing in the Virginia Islands but always loving the waters of Lake Maxinkuckee to fish for blue gills, perch, walleye, bass and catfish. Whatever was there, he caught it.

He carefully charted the fishing holes, marking his coordinates in line with the following:

• 1. Small tree trunk in line with the East chapel window.
• 2. Walker water tower over dead cotton wood on Frank Ravoldi's lot near Hazel Hills

For "Dave Burns" spot line, up:

• 1. Telephone pole at Kine's TV Shop in line with bank's air conditioner.
  
• 2. Tree in front of beach lodge in line with third west bay window of lodge.

For Weed Patch:

• 1. Walker's water tower over Janet Hiler's.
• 2. Academy's water tower west end of library.

For Deep Water:

• 1. Walker's water tower between Janet Hiler's and red roof.
• 2. Academy's water tower east end of library.

We move on now to the ice fishing - leaded boots that surely came from NASA, sleds, buckets, picks, hand warmers, fur lined parkas and gloves, poles, augers, - you name it he had it.

He and good friends Hank Kepler fished through the ice in the worst of winters and from the boat in the loveliest of simmers and fished the small lakes all over Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Saturdays were reserved for male bonding with the "boys the VFW and he would keep the family informed as to the luck of the draw.

After retiring from IRECO, Bob worked at the State Exchange Bank filling in for Vern Mc Kee and enjoyed a great and loving relationship with all the bank employees.

Husband, father, grandfather, uncle, friend to and of many, Morsell "Bob" Hodges leaves to mourn grandsons: Shelly Moorhead and Christopher Moorhead of St. Croix, Virgin Islands, Charles Hodges IV and Jason Hodges of Silver Spring, Maryland; daughter-in-law: Antionette Hodges; nieces: Iris Reese of Brooklyn, New York, Cherlene Bryd of Nitro, West Virginia; nephews: Rupert Picott of Brooklyn, N.Y. and Hodges Picott of Palo Alto, California; grandnephew: Stephen Reese of New York City; dear friend: Ray Arthurhultz, La Donna Smith, Dean Smith of Australia, Janet and Larry Hiler, Cheryl and Bill Rhodes, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Robeson, Pat and Bruce Watson; and many other friends too numerous to mention.

Bob enjoyed a simple life with company and friends from all walks of life so there is so much to celebrate for our lives have been greatly enriched.

"So live that when thy summons comes, you will be ready to answer to the call. Ad you can fold your tent like an Arab and steal silently away to pleasant dreams."