The Accidental Millionaire

In 1912 the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees. Irene and Vernon Castle popularized new dances like the Fox Trot, The Turkey Trot and the Tango. New Mexico and Arizona became the newest states of the United States. "When Irish Eyes are Smiling" and "My Melancholy Baby" were hit songs. A loaf of bread was 5 cents, a postage stamp was 2 cents and the average family income was $646 per year. It was the year that the Titanic sank and more than fifteen hundred lives were lost. The Dow Jones Average: Low: 80.15, High: 94.15. Sam Snead, Perry Como and Sonja Henie were born. And so was Emmitt L. Rodebush.

The middle of nine children born and raised in the heart of the Ozarks, Emmitt Rodebush's life details nearly a century of simple pleasures, hard work and prosperity. In 1919, his father purchased the entire town of Wilderness, Missouri and the surrounding farms. However, during the Depression, everything was lost after the bank went broke.

Through hard work and determination, Emmit, a.k.a. "Jim", managed to work his way through college. After a short stint coaching basketball (and being on call for whatever else the community demanded of him) Emmitt joined the Army Air Corps in 1942, where eventually he was stationed in Marana, Arizona for basic training. Remaining in Arizona, he met his wife and settled down to raise a son.

This is one man's fascinating and unusual road to becoming a multi-millionaire.