Livingston County, Missouri Marriages John W. Wooden of Carroll County, MO and Hester A. Sutliff of Livingston County, MO were Married 30 September 1850, by John S. Harper, J.P. in Livingston County, Missouri.

Missouri State Archives Missouri Death Certificates, 1910 - 1957 #17169 John Washington Wooden, Widowed White Male Retired Farmer born 10 Feb 1828 in Indiana, Father is Isaac Wooden born in KY, Mother is Rebecca Horben Stevenson born in Virginia, Informant is Mary W. Wooden of Dawn, Missouri, died 3 Mar 1911 in Hill twp., Carroll, Missouri, 82 yr 0 mo 23 da, buried 4 Mar 1911 in Blue Mound Cemetery, Livingston, Missouri.

John Wooden was a Carpenter. He made caskets, and many other pieces of furniture. Before he became blind he made his own casket of a walnut tree. He polished it with a meat rind and stored it in the barn loft of his sister, Julia Bunch.
When he passed away, in the home of his brother, Neal Wooden, Herbert Wooden and Henry Watson Bunch, hitched four horses to a spring wagon and took the casket up what is known as, "The Bunch Hollow" to his brother's home. The road was just a trail and very muddy.
John was blind for 11 years and was cared for by his brother Neal and wife. His home was in Hill Township, Carroll County, Missouri.

Republican Record...March 10, 1911
As will no doubt be stated elsewhere in this issue Uncle John Wooden has gone to his reward. He once dwelt among us a good neighbor. A quiet industrious and inoffensive citizen, yet he, like many others committed the crime of growing old and infirm and the usual punishment followed. Don't understand please, that we consider either age or infirmity a crime, but if one was left to judge alone from the attitude of the world toward the aged poor the conclusion most easily arrived at would be that they were criminals. Burns would have found in him a most fitting illustration of his "Man was made to mourn."
Twice forty times around he'd seen the summer sun return and each time he added proof that man was made to mourn. But the supplication
O death the poor man's dearest friend.
The kindest and the best,
When shall these aching limbs of mine
Find peace with thee and rest?
has found a response in his case and he is laid away. Had not his brother, Uncle Neal, opened his heart and house and he and his family took him in and cared for him, his closing days might have been still more sad.