married Professor C. W. Kirk, 0f Collins, Iowa; and Ada L., the widow of Roy W. Brokaw, 0f Des Moines.
Like his wife Mr. Wood was ever a faithful and devoted church member, his actions at all times being in harmony with his professions. At an early day he joined the Baptist church and remained an earnest worker therein until the disbanding of the congregation at Iowa Center, when he united with the Christian church in Maxwell. For twelve years prior to his demise he served as elder in the latter church, and Mrs. Wood continues an active and helpful factor in its work. Death came very unexpectedly to Mr. Wood on the 6th of March, 1905. He was standing on the railroad platform in Cambridge preparing to board a train for Des Moines when he suddenly dropped dead. Deep regret was felt at his death, the news 0f which brought a sense of personal loss into the heart of almost every-one who had known him, for with his passing Story county lost one of her most valued and influential citizens, the measure of whose success in life was taken not s0 much by the material gain which was his as by the honor, confidence and goodwill extended him by his fellowmen.
GEORGE SEVERT NELSON.
Although he has been a resident of Story county but eleven years, George Severt Nelson is recognized as one of its leading agriculturists and business men. He was born in Norway in 1859 and is a son of Severt and Julia (Anderson) Nelson. After the death of the father, which occurred in Norway, the mother married O. O. Oleson. The family came to the United States in May, 1866, and located at Grinnell, Iowa, where they remained for only three months, and then came to Story county. The first five years of their residence in this county they lived on a rented farm but during that period were able to accumulate sufficient capital to enable them to buy eighty acres of land north of Slater in 1871. Owing to their thrifty habits and industry they were later able to add another forty to this. Mr. Oleson has now retired from active farming and is living in Roland, enjoying in the evening of his life the ease and comfort denied him during the hard working days of his early manhood.
George Severt Nelson was only a lad of seven years when the family located in Story county, therefore his boyhood and youth were passed here and in the district schools he acquired his education. He remained a resident of Iowa until 1883, when he went to South Dakota and entered one hundred and sixty acres of land. Two years later he filed on a tree claim and in 1898 he bought another quarter section, making the aggregate of his realty holdings in that state four hundred and eighty acres. He sold his property in 1900 and the following year returned to Story county and bought two hundred and twenty-one acres. He has since added to his