Edward Ogdee, 91, passed away Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012. He was born in 1920, above his father and uncle’s mercantile store at the corner of Robertson and Travis Streets in San Benito, Texas, to Jack and Foutine Ogdee.
Ed, as he was known to all, graduated from San Benito High School, where he earned varsity letters in football, baseball, basketball, and track and was voted the Best All Around Boy of the graduating class of 1939. Later that year, he enrolled at The Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, now known as Texas A&M University, and became a Texas Aggie for the rest of his life. In 1942, after earning his varsity football letter as a starter, he, along with the entire Junior and senior classes at Texas A&M, was inducted into the United States Army, loaded onto a special troop train at College Station, Texas, bound for Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas; and, together, the Aggies went off to war.
His athleticism earned his appointment as a non-commissioned officer to the forerunner of the modern day Central Intelligence Agency, known as the Office of Strategic Services, or O.S.S., and he was sent to Quantico, Virginia for specialized training as a commando. While there, he met Rebecca (Becky) Ward of Kentucky, the love of his life, and they were married just before his transfer, in 1944, to the island of Ceylon, where he served in the forgotten theater known as the China-Burma-India Theater of World War II.
With the end of the war, he returned, along with Becky, to Texas A&M, graduated in May of 1946, and finally settled in San Benito, Texas, where they lived together for the rest of their lives. They opened Ogdee Brothers Department Store, on Robertson Street, on Saturday, July 27, 1946, in a building barely a hundred feet away from the one in which Ed was born. The very next day, Becky gave birth to their son Jack Edward (Jackie) Ogdee.
They labored hard and prospered in not only their business, but also a family life that was blessed with four more sons. Ed became increasingly active in civic and political activities. In 1959, he became the second of three generations of his family to serve the City of San Benito, Texas as a city commissioner and was elected to two more successive terms. In 1964, he was elected mayor, but in 1966, against the wishes of his constituents, and in deference to the needs of his family, Ed retired from elected life. During the 1950’s and 60’s, he was a popular figure at San Benito Greyhound football games, and old timers still recall him leading them in support of the home team as he banged on the original “Greyhound Fans” bass drum they had purchased for their “Number One Greyhound Fan”.
In his later years, Ed was a trusted advisor to various San Benito mayors and city commissions, and continued to serve in other capacities as a member of the San Benito Utilities Board. Often, he was called upon to chair the City’s Grievance Committee, where he was respected for the fairness of the decisions which he participated in rendering to various estranged city employees. He was one of the visionary founders of the Los Indios International Bridge project which became a reality when it was finally built in the 1980’s, and was one of the medal recipients commemorating the accomplishment. Probably his greatest contribution to his hometown, which generally is unknown, is that he is credited with initiating the idea for the San Benito Industrial Foundation Park, now located alongside U.S. Highway 77 Expressway in San Benito. Over the next four decades, as the foundation’s growth demanded more land, Ed was highly valued for his negotiating skills in purchasing it while achieving deals that were always considered fair and equitable by all parties involved.
Ed truly loved being a former student of Texas A&M. Whether he saw it in person, on television, or heard it on the radio, he never missed an A&M football game, and his spirits virtually rose or fell with the outcome of every play. It was only fitting that minutes before he departed peacefully from this world, the last words and music he heard was the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band playing “The Spirit Of Aggieland”.
Edward Ogdee, or “Bada”, as he was also affectionately known, was preceded in death by his parents Jack and Foutine Ogdee, his wife of over 65 years Rebecca (Becky) Ogdee, brother George Ogdee, sister Helen Ogdee, sons 2nd Lt. Jack Edward Ogdee, and infant James Robert Ogdee, and a nephew Dr. Eddie Ogdee.
He is survived by three sons Ron and wife Kathy Ogdee, Fred Ogdee, and Phil Ogdee; grandchildren Chelley and husband Jeff Black, Keith Ogdee, Edward Ogdee and Rebecca Ogdee; a sister-in-lawAnna Ogdee; nephews Michael and wife Lucy Ogdee and their daughter Noel, and Dr. Robert and wife Brenda Ogdee and their children Alec and Alexandria.
A visitation celebrating Ed’s life will be held on Thursday, September 13, 2012, at the Henry Thomae Funeral Home located at 701 N. Bowie in San Benito, Texas with family members in attendance from 5 p.m. through 8 p.m. Funeral services will be conducted on Friday, September 14, 2012, at All Saints Episcopal Church in San Benito, Texas at 10 a.m., and interment will follow at Mont Meta Cemetery. In lieu of flowers the family suggests that donations be made in Ed’s name to All Saints Episcopal Church in San Benito, Texas.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Henry Thomae Funeral Home in San Benito, Texas.
2 comments
I remember this gentlemen when I was just a little boy. I associate the memory with a distinctive smell of the new blue jeans and shoes my father would take me to buy there. My condolences to the family, I never knew what an honor it was to have met this man, who was always so nice to us.
Thank you for writing the life story of my great grandfather as I would never had known the man he was.