Transcribed by Mary Ann Kaylor

Page 1599

Alfred S. Bouchard, now deceased, was a well known passenger engineer on the Wabash Railroad for many years and located in Springfield in 1878. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, June 5, 1845, a son of Alfred Bouchard, who was a native of Detroit, whence he removed with his family to East St. Louis, Illinois, where he owned and operated an iron and steel foundry for several years. He then took up his abode in St. Charles, Missouri, where he and his wife spent their remaining day.

Alfred S. Bouchard was sent by his parents to a Catholic school in St. Louis, Missouri, where he acquired a good education. Although only fifteen years of age at the time of the outbreak of the Civil war he ran away from home to join the army and enlisted as a drummer boy of Company E, One Hundred and Sixty-sixth Indiana Regiment. He was detailed for service at Washington, D. C., for some time; in fact, until after he had attained his majority.

It was during that period that Mr. Bouchard was married to Miss Sarah V. Massey, a native of Alexandria, Virginia, and a daughter of Rudolph and Ursula Massey, also natives of the Old Dominion. Her father resided at Alexandria during the greater part of his life and conducted a plantation.

After leaving Washington Mr. Bouchard returned to St. Louis, Missouri, where he began railroad work as a fireman on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, occupying that position for several years. He was then promoted to engineer and remained in the employ of that company until 1878, when he came to Springfield and entered the services of the Wabash Railroad Company as an engineer on a passenger train. He worked on all the different divisions extending from this city and was a most faithful and capable representative of the road. On the 5th of January, 1892, while making the run between Springfield and St. Louis in a dense fog his train and another passenger train met in a head-end collision and Mr. Bouchard was instantly killed as was the other engineer. His remains were then brought back to Springfield for interment.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Bouchard had been born five children: but one died in infancy, while Emma and Alfred S. died in 1901. Virginia and Richard are now with their mother and the latter is a machinist by trade, employed in shops of the Wabash Railroad.

Socially Mr. Bouchard was a member of the Masonic fraternity of Springfield and in politics he was a stanch Republican, taking an active interest in the work and success of his party. Both he and his wife attended St. Paul's Episcopal church and were well known in church circles and had many friends throughout the city. By saving his earnings he had become well-to-do and had invested his money in St. Louis property, which became very valuable. Since his death Mrs. Bouchard has sold this property and has purchased her present home in Springfield at No. 1430 South Eighth street, where she is now living with her children.