[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 13]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 17347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      HONORING THE LIFE AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF ALONZO JOHN WEMPLE

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                           HON. RALPH M. HALL

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, July 9, 2009

  Mr. HALL of Texas. Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the life and 
accomplishments of Alonzo John Wemple, who enjoyed a long and memorable 
career as a railroad engineer and fireman, much of which was spent in 
Bonham, Texas.
  Alonzo J. Wemple was born in Schenectady, New York on October 1, 
1833. He spent his entire professional life as a railroad man, which 
allowed him to witness some of the most important events of his time. 
He got his first taste of the railroad at the age of 17, and later 
became known as one of the ``oldest locomotive engineers in America.''
  One of the most significant events Mr. Wemple witnessed was the 
funeral procession of President Abraham Lincoln. He was one of the 
engineers who transported Lincoln's body from Washington D.C., through 
Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Indiana, Chicago, and then on 
to its final resting place in Springfield, Illinois. In addition, he 
was working as a switch engineer in Chicago when the great fire broke 
out on October 8, 1871, and while working for the Central Railroad, he 
transported captured Confederate soldiers to Union Prison Camps during 
the Civil War.
  After the Civil War, Mr. Wemple moved to Bonham, Texas, where he 
worked for the Texas and Pacific Railroad as a switch engineer in the 
Bonham Railroad yards until he retired in 1927. After he retired, he 
went to live with his son Judie Newton Wemple in Fort Worth, Texas. Mr. 
Wemple died on January 21, 1929, at the age of 95.
  Alonzo J. Wemple's first wife was Charlotte Pennington and their 
children included Frances, Minnie, Frederick, Mary, Charles, and 
Charlotte. After Charlotte passed away in 1892, Alonzo Wemple married 
Pearly Williams, and they had one son, Judie.
  Madam Speaker, I rise today to commemorate the life of Alonzo John 
Wemple and his role in the history of our Nation. A perfect way to sum 
up the life of Alonzo John Wemple is a statement made in the resolution 
passed by the Texas State Legislature last month: ``History is made not 
only by the deeds of the famous but also by the accumulated experience 
of countless individuals, and although Alonzo Wemple played only a 
small part, he was a witness to some of the most important events of 
his time.''

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