James Arthur Hotchkiss

Personal and Family Information

James was born on 6 DEC 1914 in Burlingame, Osage County, Kansas, the son of Edward Ferguson Hotchkiss and Nellie Louise Washington.

He died on 14 JAN 1991 in Emporia Hospital, Emporia, Lyon County, Kansas.

His wife was Alice Louise Woolery, who he married on 8 FEB 1936 in Courthouse, Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. Their two known children were Rex James (1936-2003) and Arthur Jean (1937-?).

Pedigree Chart (3 generations)

Events

Attributes

Multimedia

Jimmy_Sarah	Artie Kilgor...	Hotchkiss Fa...	James A Hotc...	JamesAHotchk...	JamesAliceAr...
Jimmie Hotch...	JimmieAliceE...	Jimmy,Alice,...	JimmyAliceRe...	RexSr_RexJr_...	WooleryFuner...
PICT0295 Ali...	Jimmy

Notes

Note 1

!Obituary: James A. Hotchkiss, 76, Emporia, died Monday, January 14, 1991, at an Emporia hospital. He was born December 6, 1914 at Burlingame, the son of Edward F. and Nellie Washington Hotchkiss. He grew up in Burlingame and graduated from Burlingame High School in 1932. He attended Wichita State University, and Emporia State University. Mr. Hotchkiss worked in the coal mines in Burlingame for several years. He was a Federal Employee and wrote specifications for military defense. He retired from the Rock Island Arsenal, at Rock Island, Illinois, December 1, 1979. He was married February 8, 1936 to Alice Louise Woolery, at Topeka. She survives at the home. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Olive Anstaett and Harriett Ellis. Mr. Hotchkiss attended the former Burlingame Presbyterian Church and was a member of the National Assoc. of Retired Federal Employees. Other survivers include 2 sons, Rex James Hotchkiss, Los Angeles, Calif, and Arthur J. Hotchkiss, Avila Beach, Calif.; a brother Neal S. Hotchkiss, Burlingame; 5 sisters, Christine Arnold, Witchita, Anita Archibald, Wichita, Virgene Gaines, Emporia, Maxine Adams, Lees Sumit, Mo. and Esther Denny, Burlingame; 6 grandchildren; 6 great-grandchildren.

!Note: Cerimonies were at Burlingame Federated Church. He enlisted in the US National Guard 114th Cavalry on 7 July 1932 for a 3 year term of service. He worked for Cessna Aircraft for about 10 years, prior to joining the Cival Service, where he was a government inspector for many years. He studied geology, especialy plate tectonics. He was a geneologist. He raised his grandson, Rex, Jr.

!Note: Coal miners had to be very strong in order to move the large blocks of coal. The miners would often use their legs to kick the blocks of coal along the low tunnels.

!Note: Shortley before he died James A. Hotchkiss told his grandson Rex Jr. about an incident which happened when he was a young man. There was a strike in the coal mines, and two large burley roughians were hired to attack some of the strikers. James caught them at it, and with his bare hands attacked and badly beat up the roughians. He was accused of using weapons in attacking these men, and his father suggested that it might be best for him to leave Burlingame. He was therefore somewhat ashamed of this incident. I, however, find that I am very proud of him for having done it.

!Notes: From a letter by James A Hotchkiss to Laverne and Leo Hoffman. ... I did not know that you had a daughter, who died in a car-wreck. When I was a freshman in high school in 1929, I was fourteen years old. I was in a car wreck, and my face broke the windshield of a model-A Ford automobile and stuck there from the impact of cars striking together. At the hospital in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas they placed one hundred and thirty stiches in my face, which left my face badly scarred. I have hated automobiles ever since.

!Notes: More on the car wreck. At the hospital, Jimmy listened to what was going on around him, but was unable to communicate. He remembered that the people who spoke didn't think he was going to live. Jimmy was later taken to St.. Louis for reconstructive plastic surgery, which was not nearly as developed a field at the time. Although he drove a little bit in Burlingame, where he didn't need to pass a test to get a license, most of his life after that, he never drove a car.

!Notes: Hotchkiss Family at David’s Wedding Picture - Back Row: Rex Hotchkiss Sr, Patricia Coleman Finn, Bonnie Henning Hotchkiss, David Hotchkiss, Alice Woolery Hotchkiss, Catherine Funkhauser Hotchkiss, Leslie Hotchkiss, Arthur Hotchkiss. Front Row: Stephen Rinker, Adam Kurt Hotchkiss, James Arthur Hotchkiss, Jane Norman Hotchkiss, Rex Hotchkiss Jr.

!Notes: James A Hotchkiss family at his Funeral 1991 picture - Rex Jr, Rex Sr, Cynthis, Alice, David, Adam Kurt, Arthur.

Note 2

Services will be at 2 p.m. Friday in Burlingame Federated Church for James A. Hotchkiss, 76, Emporia. He died Monday January 14, 1991, at an Emporia Hospital.

Mr. Hotchkiss worked in the coal mines at Burlingame several years. He later was federal employee and had written specifications for military defense. He retired December 1, 1979 from Rock Island Arsenal at Rock Island, Illinois.

He was born December 6, 1914, at Burlingame, the son of Edward F. and Nellie Washington Hotchkiss. He grew up in Burlingame and was graduated in 1932 Burlingame High School. He had attended Wichita State University and Emporia State University.

Mr. Hotchkiss attended the former Burlingame Presbyterian Church and was a member of Notional Association of Retired Federal Employees.

He was married at Alice Louise Woolery February 8, 1936 at Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas. She survives. He was preceded in death by two sisters, Olice Anstaett and Harriett Ellis.

Other survivors include two sons, Rex Hotchkiss, Los Angeles, and Arthur J. Hotchkiss, Avila Beach, California, five sisters, Christine Arnold and Anita Archibald, both of Wichita. Virgene Gaines, Emporia, Maxine Adams, Lees Summit, Missouri and Esther Denny, Burlingame; a brother, Neal S. Hotchkiss, Burlingame, six grandchildren and six great-grandchildren.

Burial will be in Burlingame Cemetery. Mr. Hotchkiss will lie in state after 2 p.m. today at Carey Funeral Home in Burlingame. Memorial contributions may be made to Burlingame Federated Church, Burlingame, Osage County, Kansas 66413

Officiant: Dr. Marion Burgess

Organist: Tanya [Sherman] Fraker

Vocalist: Nancy Schmitthenner

Casketbearers: Douglas Gregg, Randy Sherman, Keith Anstaett, Ronald Prost, Ton Anstaett, Frank Prost