Bodenhamer Dinner a Success

The following is the speech Mike Breton and Kevin Bodenhamer presented to the guests at the First Bodemhamer Appreciation Dinner telling some of the history and accomplishments of the Bodemhamers in Baxter County, going back 140 years.

Generational Bodenhamers in Baxter County

I. Chapman Bodenhamer was a Judge in Webster County, MO around 1865. Chapman and his wife Lucy were the parents of 9 children. He and Lucy moved to Mtn. Home in 1880 to join some of their children who had already settled in Baxter County.

II. Their 2nd oldest son, Benjamin Franklin Bodenhamer was a captain in the 8th Missouri Cavalry (US) during the Civil War and he had settled in the Mountain Home area in 1871. Capt. Ben married Professor Howard's daughter Lilla Belle on May 2, 1875 and they had 9 children. Ben was a merchant, farmer, builder, and early leader of Mtn.Home and Baxter County. He was even nominated for US Congress.

Chapman's youngest son, David Jacob also moved to Mtn. Home. He married Ella Clara Record in 1886. David had the contract for delivering mail to and from Cotter to MH.

Bodenhamer Tree

III. David and Ella had 4 children. (Leonard, Fred, Horatio, Rudolph) Horatio Record (Rex or Jickie) was part owner of the Baxter Bulletin since 1925 and served the community with its civic coverage of Baxter County. He was one of Bill Clinton's first supporters and very active in Baxter County's development. In 1973 he was named "Mister Democrat" after serving 28 years as the chairperson of the Democratic Committee. Besides all that he was a MH School Board member for 21 years. His wife Jewel taught at Mtn. Home Baptist College and was the MH Postmistress from 1942 to 1963. She was also elected Chairperson of the ADWC District 3 which covered 10 counties. Both Jickie and his brother Rudolph attended many State Democratic conventions.

Rudolph married Naomi Leonard in 1922. Rudolph was County Treasurer from 1929 to 1932 and Superintendent of the Norfork Ferry. Naomi was on the Selective Service Board from 1940-1970. She was Mtn. Home City Clerk for many years, served on the American Red Cross, MH Cemetery Board, along with a host of other civic organizations.

IV. Jickie and Jewel had 1 daughter Jane. Rudolph and Naomi had 2 sons. David James Bodenhamer. (Deber or DJ) and Hal (Bud) Bodenhamer. DJ was an Arkansas State Trooper for nearly 12 years and was a local business owner and farmer. Their other son, Hal (Bud) was an active community leader having served as chairman of the Baxter Regional Medical Center Board of Directors for 11 years and in 1963 was Interim Administrator of the new Regional Hospital. He served on many boards among them Mountain Home School board, Farm Bureau Board, Fair Board and past president, Baxter County Equalization Board and Mtn. Home Cemetery Board, plus the Farm Service Agency County Committee. After 15 years Bud retired as Postmaster of the Mtn. Home Post Office. His wife Rosemary served as Election Commissioner, on the Board of the new Baxter Nursing Home and on the Baxter County Democratic Women's Club. She was in the original group of "Pink Lady" volunteers at the hospital.

V. After DJ married Doris Easley they had 2 sons: James Kelton Bodenhamer. (Jim) and Joe Rex Bodenhamer. Jim worked at the Baxter Bulletin newspaper as a young man and then as a reporter for the paper. He later moved on to be the News Director at KTLO radio station where he worked for over 3 decades. Jim was Captain of the 224th Maintenance Company, Arkansas National Guard where he served for many decades until he retired. He is currently serving on the Mtn. Home City Council. His first wife Glenda Cowart was a Mtn. Home teacher for 28 years, served 14 years on the MH planning Commission, worked as Poll worker and Marshall for many years, and currently serving as Commissioner of the Southwest MH Improvement District. She is also Chair of the Democratic Club. Jim is now married to Julie Stewart who worked with the media and Baxter County Library.

Joe Bodenhamer was Baxter County Judge for nearly 15 years. He spent 10 years on Mtn. Home school board before being elected Judge. Joe was the first Homeland Security Director for the State of Arkansas serving under Gov. Beebe. He also worked a few years for FEMA during the Hurricane Katrina disaster. Joe guided Baxter County through ice Storms, tornadoes and floods. He loved serving the people of Baxter County.

Hal's son Bob married Deborah Douglas. Bob has served on the Election Commission for many years. Bob worked many years for Baxter County Regional Hospital as an Emergency Room nurse. Bob's first wife Debby worked for decades at Baxter Regional Medical Center and is very active with the Methodist Church in MH and also the Christian Clinic. Bob's second wife Kathy is a nurse.

Buster Bodenhamer worked many years as the USDA Soil Conservationist for Baxter County. Buster also served on the Baxter County Fair Board. His wife Cathie is a retired public health nurse and helped Baxter County and Arkansas get through the Covid pandemic.

VI Jim and Glenda had 2 children. Kevin James and Tonya Annette. Kevin James Bodenhamer is a retired teacher from the Norfork School District. He served 8 years on the Baxter County Quorum Court, several years on the Baxter County Library Board of Trustees, Commissioner on the Mtn. Home Rural Fire Department for 20 plus years, President of Baxter County Historical Society, former Chairperson of the Baxter County Democratic Club, Mtn. Home Cemetery Board, Poll worker and Marshall, currently working for the US Army Corps of Engineers as a Park Ranger. Tonya Annette married Tim Wyler. They have 3 daughters and live in Springdale. Joe Rex Bodenhamer married Margie Priest and they have 3 children. Angela, Shelby, and Tracy. Daughter Angela taught 2 years in MH district and her brother Shelby now teaches for the MH district and also coaches football. Daughter Tracy Bodenhamer (Ott) is a Real Estate Agent in the area.

Mr.Dillard, Buster and Cathie Bodenhamer and Mr. Hollingsworth

Bob and Deborah’s offspring are two daughters: Paula and Pat. Daughter Paula is an Agriculture teacher in Dora, MO. Paula has been a member and leader of the Baxter County Democratic Women's club and worked many elections for the county. Daughter Pat was a Methodist pastor for many years but is now a History teacher at Pocahontas Jr. High.

David Neil (Buster) Bodenhamer married Catherine Johnson. They have 3 children: Katie, Buddy and Bailey. Their daughter Katie served the Arkansas Democrat Party as Finance Director and Governor Mike Beebe's Deputy Legal Counsel. She and her husband and two daughters Iris Anne and Rosemary Mae live in the Little Rock area. Son, Buddy, works for Baxter Health and helps coordinate EMS/Ambulance services to our citizens. Buddy is on the Fair Board as well. He is married to Jody who also works for Baxter Health. They and their kids live in Mtn. Home.

VII Kevin married Tarina Blevins and they have 2 sons: Derek and Kyle. Tarina is thePayroll Administrator for Baxter County, Kyle is a manager with Home Depot and Derek a teacher/ coach with Huntsville Schools. Shelby‘s son Blake now follows in the footsteps of his great-grandfather and father as an Arkansas State Trooper based in Mountain Home.

So after 140 years you’ve heard about 37 Bodenhamers serving in over 60 positions. They were volunteers, appointees, or elected to positions. Our thanks and admiration to all those folks who have helped make Baxter County what it has become. Thanks to Grant Tennille for coming up from Little Rock to join us in this celebration. Thanks also to Gaston’s and Holy Smokes BBQ for their help in putting on this dinner. Special thanks to Glenda Huffine whose idea this was. Thanks too to Kevin Bodenhamer, Tracy Tilley and Cathie Bodenhamer for their research.

Guests enjoying the dinner (Top Left-Dnnie and Glenda Huffine, bottom left Johnny Rickman, Top right-Heath Schrable and The Rileys)

This event has been a product of the DPBC. We meet on the first Saturday of most months. Please go to our website https://www.democratsofbaxtercounty.com to see what’s going on.