WOOD, Samuel L.

WOOD, HIGGINS, PARNELL, SEVERE

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 4/4/2015 at 14:42:02

Obituary ~ Samuel L. Wood
December 29, 1838 ~ June 11, 1914

publication and date clipped

Samuel L. Wood.

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Samuel L. Wood, the subject of this sketch, was the son of James and Susan Wood and was born at Elkton, Todd county, Kentucky, on Dec. 29th, 1838, and died at his home in Davis City, Iowa, in the morning of June 11, 1914, aged 75 years, 5 months and 12 days.

While a small boy he removed with this parents to Chillicothe, Mo., and later when a young man he removed to Princeton, Mo., where on August 9th, 1860 he was united in marriage to Rachel S. Higgins.

To this union were born six children, of whom three survive him, namely: Mrs. Rose Parnell of Chicago, Ill., Mrs. Jennie Severe, of Davis City, Iowa, and Wm. M. Wood of Peoria, Ill.

On April 8th, 1889, his wife, Rachel, passed away.

He was a veteran of the Civil War, having enlisted at Modena, Mercer county, Mo., in 1861, in Co. C, of the 35h Mo. Vol. Inf., and after a service of about four years he was mustered out at Helena, Arkansas, in 1865 and of him it is said that he was a brave and true soldier. After the close of the Civil War he returned to his family and engaged in civil life.

Some years later he removed with his family to Garden Grove, Iowa, and lived there for several years, and where his first wife died. Later he moved to Davis City, Iowa, about 1891, and where he has since resided, and had been engaged in the real estate and insurance business, and although old age was creeping on him, he had worked up quite a nice little business.

In earlier life Mr. Wood united with the Presbyterian church, but while living at Garden Grove, he withdrew by letter and that he and his wife might both worship together, he united with the Methodist Episcopal church where he maintained his membership until death, and was a contributor to its finances as far as his ability would permit him to do.

For many yeas hehas ben a member of the craft of Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and had attained to the Royal Arch degree, and he tried to live and practice the teaching of the order, as well as the life of a christian, and while perhaps he had his faults - and who of us have none - he was a generous, kind courteous neighbor, gentleman and brother, and it always seemed to be a pleasure for him to do a kind act, or a neighborly deed for those he coule, and we have yet to hear the first person say they ever head S. L. Wood speak disrepectfully, or say a harmful thing of his neighbors, and if he could not say a good thing about them, he kept a closed mouth.

For several years he has been a suffere from Bright's disease, and for the past two or three months, has suffered intensely, but in all of his suffering he bore it with patience and fortitude, never grumbling, or complaining. It was the privilege of the writer to visit him several different times after he got so bad thta he could not go to his office, and on conversing with him in regard to the future, he said that hehad made his peace with his God, and was ready and willing to go to the great beyond at anytime the Heavenly Father would call him, wichi to his bereaved family and friends is a great consolation.

He retained his full faculties until a very short time before the breath left him, although suffering intensely, no words of complaint fell from his lips, and when approached at different times by the now bereaved wife she found him in prayer, to his God.

Thus ends the life of another of our citizens, a brave patriot, and soldier in time of his country's need, a kind father and husband, and a good and true neighbor.

May God bless and comfort the bereaved ones and help them to so live that when they shall be called hence, that like Father Wood, they too may be able to say they have made peace with their God, and are ready to go to be forever with Him.

The funeral services were held Sunday at 12:30 p. m. in the Methodist church of Davis City. The music was by the church choir and the sermon preached by Rev. Guy J. Fansher, pastor of the Leon M. E. church after which the Masonic lodge of Davis City gave their impressive funeral ceremony. The body was taken on the afternoon passenger train to Garden Grove where the interment was in charge of five members from the Davis City order and the Masonic order of Garden Grove.

The Masons of Davis City accompanying the remains to Garden Grove were J. M. Howell, H. L. McClaran, P. E. Shirley, A. F. Radnich, G. P. Campbell and W. F. Severe.

~ G. P. Campbell.

Transcription by Sharon R. Becker, March of 2015