George Budge born August 18, 1854
Too much care can not be used to prevent fires. The grass on the prairie is dry and if the wind happens to be high great damage may be done. The Grand Forks Herald has the following example: Wednesday afternoon, as George Budge, accompanied by Herman Wolff, was driving past the farm of Budge & Eshelman, west of the city, their attention was attracted to a pile of straw on the harvest field that appeared to be on fire. There had been threshing done there the day previous, but the machine was perhaps thirty rods away with the fire under the boiler extinguished. Several men, including the foreman of the farm, were engaged at work at some distance from the fire. George Budge drove hastily to the place, and about this time the others had noticed it. The flames were gathering rapid headway when all arrived, and by dint of almost superhuman exertions the flames were extinguished. The high wind which was blowing at the time rendered the task a difficult one. As it was, the fire swept across the stubble a distance of fifty rods to another stack, but before any damage was done, the flames were subdued with no loss except a few sacks. The cause of the blaze is attributable to sparks from a switch engine which was passing a few minutes previous to the discovery of the fire. It was a narrow escape, for had the blaze not been discovered so opportunely, there would have been thousands of bushels of wheat destroyed by the fire fiend, whose course could not have been stayed until the Red river was reached. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Monday Morning, September 17, 1883, Volume VI, Number 260, Page 4)
The 1885 Dakota Territory census shows George Budge (age 30, druggist, born in Scotland) living in Grand Forks.
George Budge, Grand Forks, was visible about the hotel corridors yesterday. He is one of the leading residents of Grand Forks and wields considerable influence in territorial affairs. He is a self-made man, and, coming to Dakota in an early day, has managed to accumulate a goodly amount of money and real estate. His possessions in Grand Forks are creditable, and of late he has branched out and bought largely of Duluth property. In case another boom should strike either Dakota or Duluth, it is probable that he will amuse himself cutting off coupons from his many bonds. Politics interests him not, he devotes his time and attention to business. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Thursday Morning, April 1, 1886, Volume VIII, Number 91, Page 2)
On June 16, 1887, the day of the Grand Forks/East Grand Forks tornado, George Budge was injured in the train wreck that occurred in the northern damage path. It is unclear whether this was another tornado or not.
The drug store of W. J. Minar has been sold to George Budge of Great Falls. (The Western Druggist, G. P. Engelhard & Co., Chicago, Volume XV, Number 3, March 1893, Page 123)
The 1900 United States census showed George Budge (age 45, druggist, born in Scotland) living in Neihart, Montana.
The (shoe) business (in Great Falls) was known as Budge and J. E. Kenkel until Budge retired to Neihart. (Great Falls business directory)
FAST RACE FOR A LIFE. Special Train Carries Invalid To Lower Altitude. HELENA, Mont., April 11. – One hundred and thirty-five miles in four hours is the record time made by a special train on the Montana Central last evening between Neihart and Great Falls, and George Budge now lies in a hospital in the latter city with a chance for life which the run was made. Budge was taken suddenly ill with pneumonia, and by noon the disease had made such alarming inroads that attending physicians agreed that there was but one manner in which his life could be saved, and that was instant removal to a lower altitude. Neihart being nearly 7,500 feet above the sea level. A special train was telegraphed for, and left Neihart with the patient aboard at 3 o’clock, arriving at Great Falls at 7 p. m. Budge’s physicians at Great Falls expressed the belief that he will recover. Budge is well known throughout the state. (The Saint Paul Daily Globe, Saturday Morning, April 12, 1902, Volume XXV, Number 102, Page 3)
…George Budge, Neihart, Mont., died recently. (The Pharmaceutical Era, D. O. Haynes & Co, New York, Volume XXVII, Number 18, May 1, 1902, Page 447)
Word was received in the city yesterday of the serious illness of Geo. Budge at Great Falls, Montana. Mr. Budge is a brother of Wm. Budge of Grand Forks, and is well known here, having been a resident of Grand Forks at one time. It is hoped favorable reports will be received in the very near future. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Saturday Morning, April 12, 1902, Volume 21, Number 140, Page 6)
Word was received in this city Sunday evening of the death of George Budge at Great Falls, Mont., after an illness of but a few days. Deceased was taken ill the middle of last week at Niehart with pneumonia, and was taken to Great Falls at once. He grew steadily worse and died Sunday afternoon. Wm. Budge, brother of the deceased, left for Great Falls Sunday evening (April 13, 1902) and will bring the remains to this city for interment. He was at one time in the drug business in Grand Forks, occupying a store room in the Gotzian block. He was single and about 47 years of age. Many friends here heard the sad news with deep regret. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Tuesday Morning, April 15, 1902, Volume 21, Number 142, Page 4)
FUNERAL ON WEDNESDAY. The body of George Budge, who died Sunday at Great Falls, will be brought to this city on Thursday morning, on the Great Northern flyer from the west. All the details have not been decided upon, though the services will be held under the auspices of the Elks’ lodge at this place. It is probable that the remains will be taken to the home of John Budge, brother of the deceased, and left there till about noon, when they will be taken to the Elks hall in the Security block, where the services will be held at 3 o’clock in the afternoon. These arrangements may be altered somewhat later, however, and definite announcement will be made in that connection Thursday morning. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Wednesday Morning, April 16, 1902, Volume 21, Number 143, Page 4)
FUNERAL ARRANGEMENTS MADE. The body of George Budge will arrive in this city this morning on the Great Northern Flyer from Great Falls, Mont., accompanied by the brother of the deceases, Wm. Budge of this city. The remains will be at once taken to the residence of another brother, John Budge, where they will remain till 2 o’clock in the afternoon, when they will be taken to the Elks’ hall. The funeral services at the latter place will be under the auspices of the Elks, and will be held at 3 p. m. In addition to the impressive funeral services of the Elks’ lodge a eulogy will be delivered by Geo. A. Bangs. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Thursday Morning, April 17, 1902, Volume 21, Number 144, Page 4)
FUNERAL ANNOUNCEMENT. Body of George Budge Arrived Here Yesterday Afternoon. The remains of George Budge arrived in Grand Forks from Great Falls yesterday afternoon on the Great Northern flyer from the coast, which was over 12 hours late. The remains were accompanied by Wm. Budge of this city, a brother of the deceased. They were met at the depot by a delegation of Elks, who escorted the body to the home of John Budge, another brother, 401 South Fifth street, where they will remain till this morning, when they will be removed to the Elks hall in the Security block, where the funeral services will be held under the auspices of the Elks, but to which all friends will be welcome. The funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock sharp, and as this is the first interment held in Grand Forks under the auspices of the Elks there should be a very large attendance of both the members of that order and all friends of the deceased and his relatives.
From the Great Falls Tribune of Wednesday, the 16th inst., the following is taken regarding the funeral services over the remains of the deceased at that place: In Elks’ hall yesterday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock the last sad rites in connection with the local part of the funeral of George Budge of Niehart, who died at Columbus hospital Sunday night from pneumonia, were conducted. They were under the auspices of Great Falls lodge, No. 214, B. P. O. E., and were beautiful in their simplicity. Following the ceremony the body was taken to the Montana Central depot, from where it will be shipped to Grand Forks, N. D., this morning. After arrival there services will be conducted by the Grand Forks Elks and afterward the body laid to rest in the family burying ground.
It was the first funeral service of the local lodge since its organization and it is a strange coincidence that the body over which it was held was that of the last person initiated into the order in Great Falls. It was on March 29 a special meeting was held to convert several new pieces of timber into good Elks and among the number was Mr. Budge. At 3 o’clock the Elks met in their hall and after opening lodge, marched in a body to Berthold’s undertaking parlors, where the body lay. It was taken charge of by the lodge and conveyed down Central avenue to the hall, where the services were held. The following were the pall bearers: J. T. Armington, E. W. Kelly, C. I. Jones, Robert Vaughn, W. S. Frary, H. E. Benner, H. B. Mitchell and C. C. Proctor.
At the lodge rooms it was allowed to rest in state and the ritualistic services of Elks begun. The sermon was preached by Rev. Smith, and was followed by Rev. Hocking of Neihart, who during his remarks spoke of the life of the dead brother, how he was loved, the good he had done, and his exemplary character. He was followed by Exalted Ruler J. M. Burlingame, Jr., who spoke the words of a last farewell. Then the members of the lodge and the visiting brothers present passed about the coffin, each depositing upon it a small sprig of amaranth, which had been worn during the services. A quartette, consisting of Mrs. O. S. Warden, Mrs. F. B. Wilcox, A. C. Coleman and David Craig, furnished the music, each selection of which was appropriate and solemn.
During the services the hall was crowded with friends and brothers of the deceased. There were a large number of floral gifts, among the prettier of which was one from the Elks in the form of a pillow of flowers in which was worked “cervus alces.” At the conclusion of the services the body was taken from the hall and to the depot, followed by the members of the order. There it will rest until this morning when, accompanied by William Budge, a brother, who arrived Monday morning from Grand Forks, where he is postmaster, it will be taken to the former home of the deceased to be interred. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Friday Morning, April 18, 1902, Volume 21, Number 145, Page 6)
HONORS TO THE DEAD. The funeral of George Budge Held Yesterday in Elk’s Hall. The Ceremonies Were Very Impressive. And Were Attended by a Large Number of Elks and Other Friends of the Deceased – Fine Addresses by Rev. Hays and Geo. A. Bangs. All that was mortal of George Budge was committed to earth, from whence it came, yesterday morning after most impressive services in Elks’ hall in the Security block, under the auspices of Grand Forks lodge No. 255, B. P. O. E. The body remained all night at the residence of John Budge, brother of the deceased, and was taken to Elks’ hall yesterday morning. The services started shortly after 10 o’clock, and were opened by the ritualistic service by Past Exalted Ruler W. W. Hall. The Presbyterian choir sang “Nearer My God to Thee,” following which Rev. F. H. Hays preached the funeral sermon.
The sermon by Rev. Hays was very beautiful though simple, there being no effort to make anything but a plain talk. He spoke of the life of the deceased and of the many characteristics that had made him beloved by all who knew him. The speaker also spoke in a commendatory manner of the fraternal spirit existing in the Elks, of which deceased was a member. The eulogy was delivered by Brother George A. Bangs and was an able and beautiful one. Space forbids reproducing it in full. He paid a beautifully worded tribute to the dead, speaking of his great love for children, and their great love for him; his generosity and charity towards all mankind; the loss that would be felt at his death by all who had known him, and referred to the comfort in the thought that the end of life is not when the grave is approached. Regarding facts concerning the life of the deceased Mr. Bangs spoke as follows:
“George Budge was born in August of 1854 in the Orkney Isles of Scotland. He lived in the home of his parents until he became of about the age of 19, when, with his brother John he came to the United States. For several years thereafter he was a sailor upon the Great Lakes, and in 1875 he came to the village, which has since grown to the city of Grand Forks. He immediately embarked in the business of a druggist, which occupation he ever thereafter followed. When he came there were but few indeed who were residents of the village, they might have been almost counted upon the fingers. By reason of the lack of numbers each one became to the other much better known and the friendship between them was greater, the more enduring. He remained here for something more than ten years and in 1886 removed to Great Falls, Mont., from which place he shortly after went to Neihart, in the same state, where he resided until his death.
He was taken ill with that dread disease, pneumonia, only a few days ago at his home in Neihart. None of his family were about him, but the friends that he had made in his newer home were as true and loyal as those who had remained behind, and everything possible was done to assist him in his recovery to health, and to ease him in his last moments. In the hope that better care and skill and attention might be given to him and that he might have a greater opportunity in his struggle for life, these friends chartered a special train to take him from the higher altitude of his home to the city of Great Falls, some 70 miles away. The story of that ride and their wild pace with death has been told in the current numbers of our daily newspapers. But it was all in vain, and on Sunday afternoon, at Great Falls, in the state of Montana, he departed this life.”
At the close of the address of Mr. Bangs, the ritualistic work of the lodge was completed, which included “Thanatopsis,” by Judge C. J. Fisk, the Esteemed Lecturing Knight of the local lodge. The services were closed by the hymn “One Sweetly Solemn Thought” by the choir, consisting of Mrs. S. S. Titus, Mrs. Fred Parsons, and Messrs. Carothers and Brown. The body was then taken from the room by the pall bearers, Messrs. Stephen Collins, James Elton, A. F. Turner, John Lynch, F. W. Schlaberg and H. P. Ryan. A large number followed the remains to the cemetery, where the body was committed to the earth, the casket being covered with a wealth of flowers from loving friends both here and in Montana. The assembled Elks each placed a sprig of amaranth and ivy in the grave, and after prayer the service was ended. While there have been several Elk funeral services in Grand Forks, this was the first in which the interment took place in this city, and the complete ritual was followed. The service is a beautifully solemn one, and all present were deeply impressed by it. (Grand Forks Daily Herald, Saturday Morning, April 19, 1902, Volume 21, Number 146, Page 6)