WOODLEY, George S. 1875-1947

WOODLEY

Posted By: County Coordinator
Date: 4/20/2016 at 19:07:16

Last Rites Held For George S. Woodley At Otranto Today.

Funeral services were held in the Otranto church at 2:30 this afternoon for George S. Woodley, with Rev. Milton Nothdurft, pastor of the St. Ansgar Methodist church in charge, assisted by the Rev. H. E. Root of Lyle, Minnesota, pastor of the Christian Alliance Mission church in Otranto.

The Walter T. Enneberg Post of The American Legion, No. 358, St. Ansgar appointed the pallbearers from the ranks of World War II veterans who lived near Otranto and were well acquainted with the deceased. The customary military burial services were conducted at the grave in the Woodbury cemetery near Lyle.

George S. Woodley was born at Rockford. Iowa, January 9, 1875, the son of Anthony and Elizabeth Woodley who settled in Mitchell county shortly after the birth of their son, George and were prominent in the agricultural and civic affairs of the county.

There were five children born to Anthony and Elizabeth Woodley.

Charles, who lived near Otranto most of his life, died about three years ago. Mary Jane Nash of Wisconsin, deceased, Joseph Woodley of St. Paul. Minn and Mrs. A. Colby are the two survivors.

George spent some time as a student at Upper Iowa University at Fayette, Iowa and later was a road supervisor for Mitchell County and deputy sheriff.

He entered the United States Postal Service in St. Paul and his parents moved there where he made his home with them until their death. He married Mrs. Annie Ewertsen George in 1926 and retired from the postal service in 1928 when he and Mrs. Woodley came to Otranto and built the home in which he passed away suddenly Monday evening from a heart attack.

He enlisted in Company B. 12th Minnesota Infantry on April 28th, 1898, at the age of 23 and contracted an illness at Camp Black in Chattanooga, Tenn. which stayed with him the rest of his life. He received an honorable discharge from the army about two years later and has been an active member of the Spanish American War Veterans organization ever since.

Source: the St. Ansgar Enterprise, 24 April 1947, page 1, column 1

Credit: Mitch Helle