Eva Ouida Wood was also known as Eva Ouilda Wood. Eva Ouida Wood was born on 19. Jan. 1889 at Belton, Bell County, Texas. Eva Ouida Wood was born on 19. Jan. 1889 at Salado, Bell County, Texas. She was the daughter of
Miles Lafayette Wood and
Turissa Iantha Woolley. Eva Ouida Wood married
Clyde Edward Nelson, son of
Henry Carroll Nelson and
Laura Rosanah May, on 9. Feb. 1918 at Bell County, Texas. Eva Ouida Wood died on 8. Nov. 1959 at Moody, McLennan County, Texas, at age 70. A Wood Family's Branches and Twigs
Contact: Kathy
Eva Ouilda Wood, was my grandmother and tracing her life and time line will reveal some clues concerning relatives of Miles L. Wood on his father's and mother's sides of the family.
This biographical sketch will include information concerning some of those relatives.
Eva was born on January 19, 1889 in Salado, Bell County, Texas. When she applied for a birth certificate in 1954, she listed her name as "Eva Wildra Wood" but on all other documents she signed her name "Eva Ouilda". The book Salado, Texas, Its History and Its People-Felda Davis Shanklin, is a recollection of memories of Mrs. Shanklin. She was a teacher in the Salado Public School system and a pioneer of the Salado area. In her book her remembers different students that she had in her classes, including Elbert, Austin, and a Bitsy Woods, all of Eva's siblings. Eva is not listed as one of her students but that does not mean she didn't attend school, it just means that Mrs. Shanklin did not remember her. It would seem likely that if 3 of Miles L.'s children attended school all four would, especially since Eva was just younger than Elbert. Apparently Eva did attend school and enjoyed it enough to make it a profession. As stated before, in 1959 The Concho Herald ran an article sent in by a former student, Opal Garrison Waldrep. She had sent a picture of the 1909-1910 Liberty School located in the Concho Community. According to the article, Miss Eva Woods was teacher and had boarded with the Y.D. Staggs family for $15 a month.
Family photographs also will help us recreate the development of Eva's career and early life. A 1910 photo documents her standing with a large group in front of the San Angelo Normal College. The photo marks Eva in the group and states "San Angelo Summer Normal July 1910". A Normal School was developed by the State of Texas to train teachers. On the back of the photo is also stated that she attended May 20 to July 8, 1910.
Miss Eva Wood after having furnished satisfactory evidence of good moral character, and having passed the prescribed examination at Paint Rock, Texas, on the 9th day of December 1911, was approved by the State Board of Examiners to teach school in the elementary grades of public schools of Texas. A certificate was issued from the date of her examination until August 31, 1915, giving her authority to teach. Eva's first teaching assignment after her certification as listed on her certificate was in Concho County at the Oklahoma School. She was contracted to work beginning August 31, 1912 with school beginning on December 4 with Mr. C.F. Cottrall as the County Superintendent. A photo was found of 14 students and written on the photo is "Oklahoma School Dist No. 5". Special Law of 36th Leg. 3rd called Session, 1920. 21 Aug 1920: Longview & Oklahoma School Dist. Became White Point Con. Com. School Dist. #5, Concho County.
Eva shows herself to a self-confident and bold young woman. Elbert wrote to Eva in July of 1913 addressing the postcard to Eva Wood, Salado, Texas. Eva more than likely was visiting her mother's family at the time. Some of the Woolley's did not move to Concho County but remained in Bell County. There have been no indications that Eva ever traveled with others, that she made her way to wherever she wanted to go by herself.
During the summer of 1914, Eva is really an adventuresome young woman. As far as records show, she traveled by herself to Weakley County, Tennessee to visit her father's family. Correspondence from her brother, Elbert, was addressed only to her and did not mention their sister, Bittie. More than likely she traveled by train and in some photos that she took is the engine of an MK &T train. By May 1914, Elbert was writing to her while she was staying with C. Woodard in Como, Tennessee.
C. Woodard has been determined to be Charles Woodard. Charles was married to Gladys, who was a referred to as a cousin of Eva's. On a photo is written, "Charles and Gladys Woodard and son Harles. After Charles died Gladys and Harles moved to California." (Woodham Oral History-"She (Eva) visited in Como, Tennessee with a cousin Mrs. Gladys Woodard, Gladys had two children Elizabeth & Harles. Elizabeth died young. After Clarence, Gladys husband died. She and Harles moved to California where he had a photograph studio.") Alameda County, California records indicate that Gladys Woodard died September 7, 1963 in Alameda, California. Her death record indicates her mother was a Wood but does not indicate her father's name. Gladys and Charles had two children, Elizabeth Frances and Harles.
Genealogical records show that an Elizabeth Francis Wood married Jefferson M. Smythe, December 27, 1882. Elizabeth Francis Wood is shown as being born November 7, 1859 in Weakley County, Tennessee. The 1870-1880 censuses of Weakley County indicate that Miles L.'s sister; Elizabeth Francis would have been born 1859-1860. There seem to be too many indicators that point to Elizabeth Francis Wood being Gladys' mother to ignore. Gladys even named her first child, Elizabeth Francis. In June 1914, Eva sent a postcard picturing "Aunt Bettie's house" from Como, Tennessee to her father Miles L., in Paint Rock.
Also during the summer of 1914, Eva visited with "Uncle William Allman". This is really the only link we have of any records of the Atkins line at this time. (Francis Atkins was the mother of Miles L.) William Worthy Allman married Mary L. Atkins on November 7, 1870. On the 1850 census of Weakley County, Tenn. is listed a J. R. Adkins and wife Rebecca. They have six children still living at home. John 20, Thomas 18, Martha 16, Mary 13, James 11, and Joseph 8. The 1850 census would indicate Mary was born ca. 1837. The 1880 census of Weakley County lists W. W. Allman with a wife named Mary L. who was 43; this would put Mary L. as being born in 1837. Mary L. Allman is buried in New Hope Cemetery in Weakley County, Tennessee. Her headstone lists her birth as May 27, 1837, death as April 22, 1920. Francis Atkins could have been the oldest child of J.R. and Rebecca, in 1850 Francis is listed as being 23 on the census but in 1850 she is married to Miles so she is not listed with this Adkins family. At this time, further research will have to be done to conclusively tie Francis with J.R. and Rebecca. Atkins like many other names on old records is spelled a variety of ways, Atkins/Adkins/Atkin/Akin.
Among the pictures that Eva took while in Tennessee in 1914 is a picture of "cousin Hooper's house". There are also studio pictures made by Jenkins Studios of Paris, Tennessee of Bascum Hooper, his wife, Daisy, and their children, Chloe, Annie, Frances, and Faye. Bascum Hooper was the son of George H. Hooper and Mary Ann Wood. Mary Ann Wood was the sister of Miles Wood and aunt of Miles Lafayette Wood. Andrew Bascum Hooper was born July 4, 1853 and died in 1932; he is buried in the Olive Branch Cemetery in Henry County, Tennessee. He married Daisy Lanius, the daughter of Francis Marion Lanius and Alice Capitola Lendra Bandy. Daisy died in 1943 and is also buried in the Olive Branch Cemetery. Before his death, Bascum Hooper was a teacher until 1884, and then he took over a business he had had an interest in and became a druggist.
After her vacation in Tennessee, Eva must have left the Oklahoma School District #5 and moved to Bell County. A Bell County Schools Historical Marker was erected in 1969 at the site of Gooseneck School house. The schoolhouse had been gone many years and the district is known officially as Elm Springs School No. 17. Records indicate that a new building was erected on the site in 1914 with a bond issue voted by the residents of Gooseneck community. On Eva's teaching certificate, the Superintendent, J. D. Morgan, officially signs it, as being the next employment Eva will undertake. Eva is contracted to work beginning September 14, 1914 with school actually starting on November 2 at Elm Springs. Perhaps she was the first teacher to teach in the new school building.
1915 places Eva in the Holland, Texas area. Eva writes a postcard to her father, Miles L. and tells him that she may come home sometime during Christmas. The postcard is a picture she took of "Uncle Bunk's house". Uncle Bunk is still a mystery. It hasn't been determined if Uncle Bunk is an actual relative or someone she is boarding with during her school year.
In December of 1916, Elbert wrote to Eva from Ft. Bliss, Texas. Eva's mail was directed to Rt. 2 Box 90, Moody, Texas. As far as records indicate, Eva was not teaching in this area at this time so it is not known whom she was staying with or visiting in the Moody area.
By May 1917, Elbert again was writing to his sister, Eva, from Ft. Bliss in El Paso, Texas. Eva was now listed at the address of RR 7 Box 77 in Salado. On Eva's teaching certificate is a section that states: "The holder of a certificate is required to have it recorded in the office of the superintendent of public instruction in order that his contract to teach is either a common school district or an independent school district shall be legal. (Section 123, Certificate Law, 32nd Legislature.)" There are only three entries on the certificate:
County Date School School to Begin County Superintendent
Concho Aug 31,1912 Oklahoma June 4 Dec 4 C. F. Cottrall
Bell Oct 8, 1918 Summer's Mil Oct 17 J. S. Morgan
*
Bell Sep 14, 1914 Elm Springs Nov 2 J. S. Morgan
* Denotes skipped line, this was the fold in the paper and is worn through in some areas.
The reason for the 1918 entry before the 1914 entry is unknown other than this was the fold of the paper and was probably awkward to write upon. Since the same man did the 1914 entry and the 1918 entry we assume it is because he wrote where he wanted to.
Since there are no entries between 1914 and 1918 may indicate different things. Eva may have been employed at the Elm Springs School from 1914 until 1918. Or she may not have been employed as a teacher from 1915 until 1918. In November 1917, Eva sends a postcard to Clyde Nelson at Rt. 2, Moody, Texas from Camp McArthur in Waco, Texas. She writes, "We are here, but that's about all I can say. Haven't found a place to stay yet. Guess we will be back to B___ Sunday. E.O.W." Have no clue who the "we" are or why she was in Waco at Camp McArthur.
On February 9, 1918, the Preacher D.N. Hembree married Eva Ouilda Wood and Clyde Edward Nelson. (When Clyde & Eva were married the parson kept standing by the buggy talking. Clyde said, "Parson we have to go, as it looks like rain." Hershal Nelson, brother, said what made it funny was it was already raining hard on the buggy. Woodham oral history)
Clyde was the son of Henry Carroll Nelson and Laura Rosannah May. (Woodham oral history- Henry Carrol Nelson & wife Laura R. May Nelson married in Bell County by Parson Hembree & lived at first on her fathers' farm (John D. May). After her father got disabled to oversee the farm, she & her husband Henry bought it & moved into the big two story home. They lived there for many years. It was located 6 miles south west of Moody. John D. May hauled the lumber to build this house by ox cart from Calvert Texas. The house cost $15,000.)
Apparently, Clyde and Eva started out their married life in the Salado area. On Eva's teaching certificate, Superintendent Morgan, signed it saying she was under contract for the school year of 1918 to teach at Summer's Mill. She was under contract beginning October 3, 1918 with school to begin October 27. In July of 1917, Eva had successfully passed a re-examination for her teaching certificate and was presented with a Teachers Permanent Certificate authorizing her to teach in the elementary grades of any public school in the State of Texas during her lifetime.
My grandmother died when I was 7 years old in 1959. I can not remember her not sitting in a wheel chair. By the time I was a very small child she had lost both of her legs due to complications from diabetes. Being confined to a wheel chair did not seem to curtail anything that she wanted to do. I remember her being at church at every service and she and granddaddy going anywhere they wanted to. She loved to crochet and quilt and chew Juicy Fruit chewing gum. She always had me help her make tea cakes and helped me cross stitch an apron when I was about five. I remember her letting me pin pattern pieces to material stretched out on her bed and cutting them out. I don't remember her getting angry with me when I cut out the pattern piece and the bedspread at the same time.
Newspaper obit, Moody Courier, Moody,Texas Nov. 12, 1959
Mrs. Clyde Nelson Died Early Sunday
Mrs. Clyde Nelson, age 70, passed away at her home in East Moody about 7:00 Sunday morning. She had been in ill health the past several years.
Funeral services were held at 3 p.m. Monday at Denny & Witt Chapel, Coy D. Roper, minister of the Church of Christ, officiating, with burial in Moody Cemetery. Pallbearers were Donald Allman, Delbert Pratt, W. S. Thompson, James Batey, J O Doshier, Reynolds Herrington, Cecil Guyton, Garland Guyton.
Mrs. Nelson was married to Clyde Nelson on Feb. 9, 1918. To this union three daughters were born, Miss Ruby Nelson, Mrs. Marjorie Woodham, both of Moody, and Mrs. Kathryn Rutledge of Goldsmith; four granddaughers and one grandson.
She was a member of the Church of Christ and she adopted Coy Roper as her son.
Mrs. Nelson taught school 19 years, several in this area going to her school.
She, her husband and Miss Ruby moved to Moody from Whitehall six years ago where they have since resided.