Maxey Dell Moody, Sr.

Maxey Moody, Sr.

Moody circa 1920s
Born December 12, 1883
Ocala, Florida
Died July 1949 (aged 65)
Jacksonville, Florida
Nationality American
Occupation Founder of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc.
Spouse(s) Ethel Muller Moody
Children Maxey Dell Moody, Jr., Ethel Jeannine Moody Butler, Muller Pearson "Capt Mudeye" Moody, Dolores "Didi" Moody Dux
Parent(s) Eliza Pearson Moody and Sloman Moody
Relatives John Pearson (grandfather)
Rogue (great grandson)
Signature

Maxey Dell "Max" Moody, Sr. (December 12, 1883[1] – 1949) was the founder of M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. in 1913 and the patriarch of the Moody companies. His business M. D. Moody became the oldest family owned construction equipment distributor in the United States and at one point the largest crane dealer in the southeast.[2]

Biography

Family and early life in Ocala

Sloman Moody, Maxey's father, in 1873.
Moody (right, with a black vest and tie) delivering an Adams road grader to St. Johns County in the 1920s.

Max Moody was born on December 12, 1883, in Ocala, Florida, to Eliza and Sloman Moody.[3][4] His father, Dr. Sloman W. Moody (1838–1898) was born in Horatio, South Carolina, to plantation owners Susan and Slomon Moody, Sr. Dr. Sloman was born Slomon Moody, Jr. but eventually changed his named to Sloman. Maxey's mother Eliza Pearson (1847–1918) was born in Orange Springs, Florida, to Confederate Captain John William Pearson and Sarah Pearson. John was mortally wounded at the Battle of Globe Tavern in the American Civil War and died in 1864.[5][6] Sloman and Eliza were married in 1870 and settled down in Ocala. Maxey's siblings, a mixture of half-siblings or full-blooded siblings due to Sloman's previous marriages, are Samuel Moody, Edward Moody, Carolina Susan Moody, John Pearson Moody, Elizabeth Richardson Moody, Slomon Moody, Vincent Fair Moody, Charles Elliot Moody, Adelbert Moody, Joseph Moody and Sarah Moody. Dr. Sloman became a prominent physician in Marion County for over 20 years until he died on March 20, 1898 at the age of 64 when Maxey was only 14. In 1901 Maxey contracted typhoid fever but he soon recovered.[7] By 1905 Maxey moved to Lake City where he worked at a refreshment stand.[8]

Jacksonville and M. D. Moody

By 1907 Maxey moved to Jacksonville. In Jacksonville he worked for Lancaster Automatic Railroad Crossing selling stock in Jacksonville, Ocala, Tampa and Cuba.[9] On April 14, 1909 Max married Ethel Muller at the Church of the Immaculate Conception.[10] Maxey and Ethel were going to Washington, D.C. for their honeymoon but changed it to Tampa due to his mother's illness.[11] While only having a high school education he established his notable construction distributor business titled after himself, M. D. Moody, and is only a coincidence with his father's title as an M.D. M. D. Moody was established in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1913 with his first and middle name, Max Dell, abbreviated leaving only his last name intact as the name of one of the oldest businesses in Jacksonville and the Southeast. He held multiple positions at M. D. Moody such as salesman, parts manager and serviceman. As President and founder of M. D. Moody, the business grew moderately. The outbreak of World War I in Europe forced Max to register for the draft in 1917 due to the Selective Service Act of 1916 but he was never sent overseas. One year later on April 23, 1918 his mother Eliza passed away.

During the 1920s M. D. Moody entered the marine equipment business by manufacturing their own marine engines and then with the Waukesha Engine dealership. During World War 2 the business supplied construction equipment needed for the expansion of military bases in Florida. In 1942 M. D. Moody became the sole distributor of the American Hoist & Derrick Company (American Crane and now part of Terex) in Florida. The two sons of Maxey Moody, Muller and Max Moody, Jr., joined the business in the 1940s incorporating it to M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. Max Moody's business was still a relatively unknown construction equipment business by 1950. However, his son Maxey Dell Moody, Jr. took over his father's business in 1949 upon his death in the same year of a heart attack.[12] By the 1980s M. D. Moody under his son grew substantially to become one of the largest construction equipment distributors in the Southeastern United States.

Ancient Arabic Order of the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine and the Scottish Rite

Max was an active member of the Shriners and Scottish Rite. He joined the Shriners on June 10, 1920 at the Morocco Temple in Jacksonville. His business received numerous awards for his contributions to the Shriners as well.

Max posing with members of the Scottish Rite in November 1922.>

Legacy

Maxey's sole legacy lies with his successful business M. D. Moody which became M. D. Moody & Sons, Inc. when his sons Max Moody, Jr. and Muller Moody joined the business but also indirectly with the Moody subsidiaries bearing either his last name or middle name which are Moody Brothers of Jacksonville, Moody Machinery Corp., Moody Truck Center, Moody Light Equipment Rental, Moody Fabrication & Machine, Inc., Dell Marine Boat Sales and Dell Marine Tug & Barge.

Gallery

Notes

  1. ↑ "United States World War I Draft Registration Cards, 1917-1918," index and images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.3.1/TH-1951-25111-10048-1?cc=1968530&wc=M9W1-S7X:n1043710023 : accessed 02 Feb 2014), Florida > Jacksonville City no 1; Laco, Harry A.-Z; citing NARA microfilm publication M1509 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d).
  2. ↑ Weaver, 2001, p. 159.
  3. ↑ "Ocala Evening Star". The Ocala Banner. April 15, 1909. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  4. ↑ "The Ocala Banner". The Ocala Banner. April 30, 1909. Retrieved February 18, 2014.
  5. ↑ Taylor, 2012, p. 176-179
  6. ↑ David, Pearce. "Sixth Florida Infantry Battallion". www.battleofolustee.org. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
  7. ↑ "Ocala Occurrences". The Ocala Evening Star. June 8, 1901.
  8. ↑ . The Ocala Evening Star. March 25, 1905 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84027621/1905-03-25/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1836&index=0&rows=20&words=Maxey+Moody&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=maxey+moody&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1. Retrieved November 29, 2014. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. ↑ "Ocala Occurrences". Ocala Evening Star. January 16, 1908.
  10. ↑ "Moody-Muller". April 15, 1909. Retrieved February 20, 2014.
  11. ↑ . The Ocala Banner. April 30, 1909 http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88074815/1909-04-30/ed-1/seq-5/#date1=1836&index=6&rows=20&words=Maxey+Moody&searchType=basic&sequence=0&state=&date2=1922&proxtext=maxey+moody&y=0&x=0&dateFilterType=yearRange&page=1. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  12. ↑ http://www.constructionequipmentguide.com/From-Horse-Drawn-Graders-to-Massive-Crawler-Cranes/13042/

References