BORN ON MARCH 21, 1907, IN A SMALL FARMHOUSE FOUR MILES EAST OF MOULTON NEAR THE SMALL HAMLET OF KOMENSKY, HUGO J. STRIEDER KNEW AT A YOUNG AGE THAT HE WAS DESTINED TO BE A DOCTOR. FROM HUMBLE BEGINNINGS, HE GRADUATED AS SALUTATORIAN OF MOULTON HIGH SCHOOL IN THE CLASS OF 1926. WHEN HE WAS IN HIGH SCHOOL, LOCAL DENTIST AND MENTOR, DR. P.O. PUCK, ENCOURAGED HUGO TO ATTEND COLLEGE AND STUDY MEDICINE. HUGO ATTENDED BALDWIN’S BUSINESS COLLEGE IN YOAKUM WHERE HE LEARNED SKILLS THAT WOULD LATER HELP HIM PAY FOR SCHOOL. IN 1932, HE GRADUATED FROM ST. EDWARD’S UNIVERSITY IN AUSTIN AND THEN THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS MEDICAL SCHOOL IN GALVESTON IN 1934. AFTER HIS INTERNSHIP AND RESIDENCY AT BRACKENRIDGE HOSPITAL IN AUSTIN, DR. STRIEDER WAS OFFERED A POSITION, BUT DECLINED IN FAVOR OF RETURNING TO MOULTON. IN 1936, HUGO MARRIED LILLIAN MIGL AND BEGAN A PRIVATE PRACTICE IN ROWENA. BY 1940, HE STARTED HIS OWN PRACTICE IN MOULTON ON ELM AND ARNIM STREETS. SPEAKING FLUENT GERMAN, DR. STRIEDER BECAME THE AREA’S COUNTRY DOCTOR AS WELL AS BEING ACTIVE IN THE VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT, KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND ST. JOSEPH’S CATHOLIC CHURCH. DURING WWII, DR. STRIEDER SERVED IN THE NAVY MEDICAL CORPS, HONING HIS DIAGNOSTIC AND SURGICAL SKILLS. AFTER THE WAR, DR. STRIEDER BOUGHT LAND IN 1946 AND OPENED A CLINIC AND HOSPITAL. HIS PRACTICE PROVIDED A BRIDGE BETWEEN THE PRE-WAR DOCTORS AND THE ADVANCES IN MEDICINE FROM WWII. DR. STRIEDER MADE A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN THE AREA FROM EVERYDAY WOUNDS TO OUTBREAKS OF POLIO. IN NEED OF REST, HE CLOSED THE HOSPITAL IN 1953 AND EVENTUALLY TOOK A JOB WITH THE ATOMIC ENERGY COMMISSION. HE DIED ON DECEMBER 11, 1955, AND IS BURIED NEAR HIS BELOVED “HOSPITAL ON THE HILL.” (2019)