Railroad Manager
US Army, World War I
Manager for the Great Northern Pacific Railroad. When his sister Sarah Catherine died in 1952, he had the train stop in the middle of a corn field in Owasco, Indiana, just so that his family could finally understand how much he had accomplished since leaving home. The train had not stopped in Owasco for decades, but C.O. Hooker could tell the train engineer to stop the train anywhere he wanted it stopped. The train stopped, and Challence walked across the road to his sister's home, where family members were gathering for her funeral. Young and old alike were stunned, and the story was repeated for decades by those who had seen it happen.
1900 census: North Dakota, Rolette County, St. John. Surname appears on the census as "HOOKERAS," and the census taker spelled his first name "Chalence." He was 12 years old, living with his parents, with his brothers William (21), Theodore J. (18), and James B. (16), and with his sister Dora L. (14). His father was farming.
1920 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with brother Ted; working as a conductor on the railroad.
1930 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with wife Ida; their sons Thomas and Theodore; and his father-in-law, Thomas ELVRAM (68, b. Norway). Working as "train master" as the railroad station in Minot.
Married Ida ELVRAM. They had three children: Thomas Hooker (1922-2006), Theodore Hooker, MD (1924-2008), and Joan (1936-2010).
MILITARY SERVICE
From "North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918":
Name: Challence Oscar Hooker
Army #: 175,952
Registrant: yes, Ward county
Birth Place: Owasco, Ind.
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1889
Parent's Origin: of German-American parents
Occupation: railway conductor
Comment: enlisted at St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 18, 1917; sent to Fort Snelling, Minn.; served in Company E, 21st Engineers, to Jan. 19, 1919; Headquarters Detachment, 4th Battalion, 21st Regiment, Engineers, to March 5, 1919; 1st Battalion, Headquarters, 21st Engineers, to discharge. Grades: Corporal, Oct. 10, 1917; Sergeant, Nov. 16, 1917; Sergeant 1st Class, Dec. 13, 1917; Master Engineer, Junior Grade, Sept. 29, 1918; overseas from Dec. 26, 1917, to June 9, 1919. Engagements: Offensives: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sector: Toul (Lorraine). Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 20, 1919, as a Master Engineer, Junior Grade. Awarded a Meritorious Service Certificate, for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services at Bois de Hazelle, France. In testimony thereof, and as an expression of appreciation of these services, I award him this citation, on April 19, 1919. (Signed) John J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief.
US Army, World War I
Manager for the Great Northern Pacific Railroad. When his sister Sarah Catherine died in 1952, he had the train stop in the middle of a corn field in Owasco, Indiana, just so that his family could finally understand how much he had accomplished since leaving home. The train had not stopped in Owasco for decades, but C.O. Hooker could tell the train engineer to stop the train anywhere he wanted it stopped. The train stopped, and Challence walked across the road to his sister's home, where family members were gathering for her funeral. Young and old alike were stunned, and the story was repeated for decades by those who had seen it happen.
1900 census: North Dakota, Rolette County, St. John. Surname appears on the census as "HOOKERAS," and the census taker spelled his first name "Chalence." He was 12 years old, living with his parents, with his brothers William (21), Theodore J. (18), and James B. (16), and with his sister Dora L. (14). His father was farming.
1920 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with brother Ted; working as a conductor on the railroad.
1930 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with wife Ida; their sons Thomas and Theodore; and his father-in-law, Thomas ELVRAM (68, b. Norway). Working as "train master" as the railroad station in Minot.
Married Ida ELVRAM. They had three children: Thomas Hooker (1922-2006), Theodore Hooker, MD (1924-2008), and Joan (1936-2010).
MILITARY SERVICE
From "North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918":
Name: Challence Oscar Hooker
Army #: 175,952
Registrant: yes, Ward county
Birth Place: Owasco, Ind.
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1889
Parent's Origin: of German-American parents
Occupation: railway conductor
Comment: enlisted at St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 18, 1917; sent to Fort Snelling, Minn.; served in Company E, 21st Engineers, to Jan. 19, 1919; Headquarters Detachment, 4th Battalion, 21st Regiment, Engineers, to March 5, 1919; 1st Battalion, Headquarters, 21st Engineers, to discharge. Grades: Corporal, Oct. 10, 1917; Sergeant, Nov. 16, 1917; Sergeant 1st Class, Dec. 13, 1917; Master Engineer, Junior Grade, Sept. 29, 1918; overseas from Dec. 26, 1917, to June 9, 1919. Engagements: Offensives: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sector: Toul (Lorraine). Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 20, 1919, as a Master Engineer, Junior Grade. Awarded a Meritorious Service Certificate, for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services at Bois de Hazelle, France. In testimony thereof, and as an expression of appreciation of these services, I award him this citation, on April 19, 1919. (Signed) John J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief.
Railroad Manager
US Army, World War I
Manager for the Great Northern Pacific Railroad. When his sister Sarah Catherine died in 1952, he had the train stop in the middle of a corn field in Owasco, Indiana, just so that his family could finally understand how much he had accomplished since leaving home. The train had not stopped in Owasco for decades, but C.O. Hooker could tell the train engineer to stop the train anywhere he wanted it stopped. The train stopped, and Challence walked across the road to his sister's home, where family members were gathering for her funeral. Young and old alike were stunned, and the story was repeated for decades by those who had seen it happen.
1900 census: North Dakota, Rolette County, St. John. Surname appears on the census as "HOOKERAS," and the census taker spelled his first name "Chalence." He was 12 years old, living with his parents, with his brothers William (21), Theodore J. (18), and James B. (16), and with his sister Dora L. (14). His father was farming.
1920 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with brother Ted; working as a conductor on the railroad.
1930 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with wife Ida; their sons Thomas and Theodore; and his father-in-law, Thomas ELVRAM (68, b. Norway). Working as "train master" as the railroad station in Minot.
Married Ida ELVRAM. They had three children: Thomas Hooker (1922-2006), Theodore Hooker, MD (1924-2008), and Joan (1936-2010).
MILITARY SERVICE
From "North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918":
Name: Challence Oscar Hooker
Army #: 175,952
Registrant: yes, Ward county
Birth Place: Owasco, Ind.
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1889
Parent's Origin: of German-American parents
Occupation: railway conductor
Comment: enlisted at St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 18, 1917; sent to Fort Snelling, Minn.; served in Company E, 21st Engineers, to Jan. 19, 1919; Headquarters Detachment, 4th Battalion, 21st Regiment, Engineers, to March 5, 1919; 1st Battalion, Headquarters, 21st Engineers, to discharge. Grades: Corporal, Oct. 10, 1917; Sergeant, Nov. 16, 1917; Sergeant 1st Class, Dec. 13, 1917; Master Engineer, Junior Grade, Sept. 29, 1918; overseas from Dec. 26, 1917, to June 9, 1919. Engagements: Offensives: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sector: Toul (Lorraine). Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 20, 1919, as a Master Engineer, Junior Grade. Awarded a Meritorious Service Certificate, for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services at Bois de Hazelle, France. In testimony thereof, and as an expression of appreciation of these services, I award him this citation, on April 19, 1919. (Signed) John J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief.
US Army, World War I
Manager for the Great Northern Pacific Railroad. When his sister Sarah Catherine died in 1952, he had the train stop in the middle of a corn field in Owasco, Indiana, just so that his family could finally understand how much he had accomplished since leaving home. The train had not stopped in Owasco for decades, but C.O. Hooker could tell the train engineer to stop the train anywhere he wanted it stopped. The train stopped, and Challence walked across the road to his sister's home, where family members were gathering for her funeral. Young and old alike were stunned, and the story was repeated for decades by those who had seen it happen.
1900 census: North Dakota, Rolette County, St. John. Surname appears on the census as "HOOKERAS," and the census taker spelled his first name "Chalence." He was 12 years old, living with his parents, with his brothers William (21), Theodore J. (18), and James B. (16), and with his sister Dora L. (14). His father was farming.
1920 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with brother Ted; working as a conductor on the railroad.
1930 census: North Dakota, Ward County, Minot. Living with wife Ida; their sons Thomas and Theodore; and his father-in-law, Thomas ELVRAM (68, b. Norway). Working as "train master" as the railroad station in Minot.
Married Ida ELVRAM. They had three children: Thomas Hooker (1922-2006), Theodore Hooker, MD (1924-2008), and Joan (1936-2010).
MILITARY SERVICE
From "North Dakota Military Men, 1917-1918":
Name: Challence Oscar Hooker
Army #: 175,952
Registrant: yes, Ward county
Birth Place: Owasco, Ind.
Birth Date: 12 Mar 1889
Parent's Origin: of German-American parents
Occupation: railway conductor
Comment: enlisted at St. Paul, Minn., on Sept. 18, 1917; sent to Fort Snelling, Minn.; served in Company E, 21st Engineers, to Jan. 19, 1919; Headquarters Detachment, 4th Battalion, 21st Regiment, Engineers, to March 5, 1919; 1st Battalion, Headquarters, 21st Engineers, to discharge. Grades: Corporal, Oct. 10, 1917; Sergeant, Nov. 16, 1917; Sergeant 1st Class, Dec. 13, 1917; Master Engineer, Junior Grade, Sept. 29, 1918; overseas from Dec. 26, 1917, to June 9, 1919. Engagements: Offensives: St. Mihiel; Meuse-Argonne. Defensive Sector: Toul (Lorraine). Discharged at Camp Dodge, Iowa, on June 20, 1919, as a Master Engineer, Junior Grade. Awarded a Meritorious Service Certificate, for exceptionally meritorious and conspicuous services at Bois de Hazelle, France. In testimony thereof, and as an expression of appreciation of these services, I award him this citation, on April 19, 1919. (Signed) John J. Pershing, Commander-in-Chief.
Family Members
Siblings
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Sarah Catherine "Kate" Hooker Beard
1871–1952
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Mary Elizabeth Hooker Hazlett
1873–1963
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Rosa Ellen Hooker Hurley
1874–1962
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George Washington Hooker
1877–1947
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William Edward Hooker
1879–1950
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Theodore John Wesley "Ted" Hooker
1882–1957
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James Burton "J.B." Hooker
1884–1955
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Dora Leona Hooker Maloney
1886–1974
