Born 5 May 1905 to William and Euphemia "Eunie" (ASHENHURST) McDOWELL in Tingley, Ringgold County, Iowa. At right is her high school graduation photo. She married Hugh Wallace HOGUE on 2 November 1924 at Guthrie Center, Guthrie County, Iowa and had three children, all born in Tingley: Patsy Ruth FERBER-BANKS, Billie Dell COOLEY-GORDON-SNYDER and Ronald Hugh HOGUE. Patsy lives in Newton, Iowa. Ron died in 1994 in Hollywood, California and Billie died in 1995 in McKinleyville, California. In addition to raising her family, Birdie ran a boarding/care home for the elderly, as had done her mother, Eunie, and her mother, Sarah Eva (SOUTHERN) ASHENHURST, before her.

Birdie's husband, Hugh, died in Long Beach, California on 2 June 1969 and she died there on 7 September 1994. They are buried side by side in Westminster, California.

Birdie's photo,above right, in oval format, was published on the cover the National Queries Forum from 1990 to 1994 and has been the logo for Genealogy Online since 1995.

- Michael COOLEY