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Chase County Obituaries


1863 - 2008



Wood, Wallace Alfred

OBITUARY OF W. A. WOOD Wallace Alfred Wood was born at West Liberty, Iowa, January 1, 1856 and died at the home of his sister in Elmdale, Kans., November 3, 1936, aged 80 years, 10 months, and 2 days.

He was the son of Stephen M. and Caroline Breese Wood, and came with his parents to Kansas in the summer of 1866. They settled on an unimproved farm a mile and a half southwest of the present city of Elmdale, and there his boyhood was spent.

His was the order of mind that is well-adapted to a professional training but pioneer Kansas offered few opportunities for professional training of any kind in those days. After such education as the district schools offered, he attended the State Normal school at Emporia for a while and then taught for several terms, after which he took up farming on his own responsibility. He often laughingly said that he spent his youth planting hedgerows and his later years in grubbing them out, but meanwhile they had served a good purpose.

March 15, 1882, he was married to Miss Gracia Pope of Wichita, Kans. To them were born five children, two of whom died in infancy. Mrs. Wood passed away in February, 1895. About 1899 he was married to Mrs, Minnie Snyder.

During most of his active life Mr. Wood was a farmer and stock- raiser, being very progressive in his ideas. He served as county commissioner for a term of years, and for some time owned a hardware store and lumber yard in Elmdale.

Mr. Wood was of a strong literary turn of mind, being extremely well-read and a fine conversationalist. He was a member of the Christian church at Elmdale, was active in everything that made for the good of the community until a few years ago, when his health failed completely. He was of unusually charming personality, always pleasant and kindly in manner--a good father and a dependable friend.

He is survived by his sister, Miss Carrie E Wood of Elmdale; his son, Harold P Wood of Knoxville, Tenn.; and a daughter Gracia Wood, of New York City. His eldest daughter, Hila, wife of Edward Thurston, died several years ago.

He also leaves to hourn his loss eight grandchildren, a great-granddaughter, several nephews, nieces, counsins and many friends.

Funeral services conducted by the Rev. J R Ewbank of the Methodist church were held in theChristian Church at Elmdale the afternoon of Thursday, November 5, and burial was made in the Elmdale cemetery. The pall-bearers were T. R. Wells, Fred Smethers, A. J. Drummond, Clarence Beardmore, Otto Frey, and Orville Giger.

Chase County Leader News, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Nov 18 1936.

W. A. Wood Dies Tuesday

Wallace A. Wood, pioneer settler of Chase County died at his home in Elmdale Tuesday morning. Mr. Wood came to Elmdale in the year 1866 with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Wood, from West Liberty, Iowa. He had lived here continuously for the past seventy years.

Mr. Wood was a nephew of the late Sam Wood prominent in the early history of Kansas. W. A. Wood was a former county commissioner of Chase county and had spent all his life farming and in livestock business.

He is survived by two children, Harold Wood, of Tennessee and Miss Gracia Wood, of New York City. One daughter, Mrs. Hilah Thurston is dead. He also leaves a sister, Miss Carrie Wood, of Elmdale.

Mr. Wood had been failing in health for a long time. For weeks he had been confined to his home and his bed. Death came about 6:30 o'clock Tuesday morning.

There have been few men who have lived in Chase County who were better known and had more friends than Mr. Wood. He was an industrious farmer and enjoyed farming the rich bottom land he owned in the Cottonwood Valley. In recent years, however, his advancing age and poor health made it necessary for him to retire from active work but he never lost interest in his life's work as a farmer.

His death brought deep regret to his many friends and acquaintances.

Chase County Leader News, Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, Nov 03 1936.



Chase County Death Notices and Obituaries,
compiled and abstracted from the Chase County Courant and Chase County Leader Newspapers
by your Chase County Host, Lorna Marvin.
Please submit your obituaries and death notices.




Chase County Host
Lorna Marvin



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