"Edward Franklin Rushing, owner of a large general merchandise store at Ojo Caliente, [New Mexico] came here nearly twenty years ago and during the first three years of residence at this famous resort operated a bus line from Taos Junction to the hot springs from which the town derives it's name. He then opened a garage across the highway from his present location and operated a garage and service station for ten years. The garage was destroyed by fire and Mr. Rushing then purchased the general store here and has operated it since, a period of some five or six years.

Edward Franklin Rushing was born in Stephenville, Texas, on the twenty-sixth of August 1880, a son of John Franklin, a farmer, and Hattie (Beard) Rushing, both of whom are deceased. Mr. Rushing acquired his education in the public schools at Stephenville and lived there until he was nineteen years old. For ten years he was employed in a gin and oil mill, working at both Cisco and Stephenville, and then went to San Augustine County, Texas, and managed a gin there for J. C. Williams for five years. His next move was to Vernon in Wilbarger County, Texas where he farmed for ten years. After six months spent as a patient in the Woodmen Hospital in Colorado Springs, Mr. Rushing came to New Mexico and for a year was employed in a service station at Raton. From there he came to Ojo Caliente and has successively engaged in operation of a bus line, a garage and during the past few years has had the ownership operation of a highly successful general merchandising business.

At the age of Nineteen Mr. Rushing was married to Miss Oma Short, a native of Eastland, Texas, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Short. Mr. and Mrs. Rushing are the parents of eight children, Edna, now the wife of Rev. Edward William McKinley,[sic][should read Rev. Eulyss Chesley NcKinzie] a minister of the Christian Church; Lorain Rushing, deceased; Jesse Rushing, a welder in a shipyard in California; Lessie, Married to Lee Bond a land leveler of San Francisco, California; Marie, wife of Frank Bailey, a bakery salesman of Denver Colorado; Prentice Rushing, crane operator in the shipyards at Richmond, California; DeForest Rushing, now in the United States Army and Faith (Rushing) Boggs, married to Eugene H. Boggs of the U. S. Army. There are twelve grandchildren.

Mr. Rushing is a highly capable businessman, a progressive and public spirited citizen and member of the Methodist Church. He is an ardent sportsman and wrestling fan."
 

(c)1945 New Mexico Historical Society; "Historical Encyclopedia of New Mexico"; pages 1897 - 1898 call number R978.9H673; Albuquerque Public Library.
[Note:  One Rev. Eulyss Chesley McKinzie is called Edward William McKinley in this biography, he is my aunt "Tot's" husband "Uncle "Mac". The biography is incorrect about his name.] Edward Rushing had a "Founding Father of The State of New Mexico" Certificate dated 1912 when New Mexico became a state. His biography does not show his activity in New Mexico, at that time he still worked the itinerant farming route with his brothers in Texas.

The bus service that Ed owned was a green National Car open limousine. The windows were "Isinglass", a clear gelled biological material [made from fish bladders], before clear plastics but similar to plastic. They had to be placed in bad weather and removed in hot weather. Edward's green Chevrolet National car/ bus doubled as Ojo Caliente's and Taos Junction's town limousine. The National Car was built to seat seven passengers.

Edward owned a black two wheel covered buggy when they were a poorer farm family before he started the businesses in Ojo Caliente. Ed was very proud of that fancy buggy, they had it since the family farmed and lived on a farm between Vernon and Chilicothe, Texas. This farm was on the Chilicothe mail route but near Vernon, Wilbarger County, from this farm Ed's and his brothers worked an itinerant three farm route in Oklahoma. They would first plow and plant Cotton on all four farms. Go back to Texas and hoe and chop [thin the Cotton] then do the same on the Oklahoma route, another round to pick and gin [remove the seeds from] the Cotton. Back home to chop wood, gather coal, butcher and smoke meat for the winter. Their father John Rushing died on one of the rounds and was buried along side the wagon trail. Later the TB would kill Ed's brother or half brother Burt on Ed's Vernon/Chilicothe farm and Lelia Loraine, Ed's daughter in Ojo Caliente, NM, Edward would survive it and live till age 91.

The new store was across the road was from the old garage was because: The "one lung", as they called it, air compressor engine at Ed's gas station set fire to the gasoline and burned down the store and home. A one lung engine is a single cylinder four cycle combustion engine that uses a huge heavy fly wheel to keep it running till the next combustion stroke. Cough- woof- woof- woof- cough- woof- woof...

After this biography Edward and Oma (Etta Leoma Short (Rushing)) were divorced in Ojo Caliente. Oma re-married to King Brady Newman and Edward re-married to Ruby Mae Rogers (Rushing). Ed and Ruby moved to Farmington, San Juan County, NM and bought a farm there. Oma and Brady Newman moved to Richmond, Contra Costa County, CA where they worked at the shipping yards of San Francisco. Brady was an excellent auto and aircraft mechanic after WW II and Oma was a seamstress. Ed worked the farm till he was 86 years old. I spent a few summers working for him on the farm and our family frequently would go up there from Albuquerque for Christmas. Edward and Ruby adopted her son Dayle Rushing who was raised in Farmington. Dayle moved to California where he lived the rest of his life. Dayle was considered a full brother to the other children.