James Homer Wood (1858-1917)

WOOD, CARPENTER, GATES, PIZER, SIMMERS

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/30/2015 at 21:34:00

From Nevada Representative February 20, 1917

JAS. H. WOOD

James Homer Wood, son of William K. and Melinda Wood, was born in Story County, Iowa, July 22, 1958. He died at Chicago, Ill., February 15, 1917, at the age of 58 years, 6 months and 26 days.

He spent his boyhood on his father's farm, attended the country schools, and was learned n all the craft and lore of boyhood under the pioneer conditions, acquiring a great fund of practical knowledge which is after all the essential part of real education His father occupied a place of great prominence in the community, and the son was one of that multitude of boys of whom it can be said that "he had a good mother."

With the coming of manhood he began the business of cattle raising. In 1877 he was married to Miss Alice Carpenter. Three sons came to rejoice this home in a few years he left the farm and made his residence in Maxwell. After several years he engaged in the commission business in Chicago. In all these enterprises he was very successful. For many years he was in partnership with his brother, C. A. Wood. When his sons reached maturity they became their father's partners. The members of the Wood family have for many years figured prominently upon the Chicago livestock market. In that city his wife died.

In 1902 Mr. Wood was married to Miss Mary Gates. In 1912 occurred the conversion of his life and himself to Christianity. This event occurred in a remarkably Pentecostal manner in their own home without human interposition. They at once identified themselves with a nearby church and began an aggressive Christian life. At home, at work or in the stockyards, Mr. Wood was nowhere ashamed of his Master nor afraid to plead his cause.

His death resulted from a persistent attack of rheumatism which after running a long and painful course, baffling the skill of the doctors, finally touched the brain with immediately fatal results. The funeral was held on Sunday, February 18, at the Methodist Church of Maxwell, conducted by Frank Bean, the pastor, assisted by Rev. B. C. Bosenberg of the Iowa Center B. E. church and Rev. S. C. Wadding of the Maxwell Presbyterian Church. A multitude of friends and former neighbors attended. The brothers of the Masonic order, of which he was a longtime member, observed their fraternal rites at the church and at the cemetery. Interment was at Iowa Center.

Those who remain to mourn the one who has bone before are the father, who now lied very sick at Iowa Center, and stepmother, also lying ill, his wife and three sons, Cory, William and Glenn, and his brother, Curtis, his half-sisters, Carrie and Queen, respectively Mesdames E. W. Pizer of Nevada and Edw. T. Simmers of Los Angeles, besides other relatives and friends almost without number.

All who knew James H. Wood testify to his sterling qualities of character, modesty, manliness and brotherliness.