D/O Phoebe Sara Lawton & Thomas Willingham
Columbus Ledger Thursday, June 22, 1922 HARD TO READ
MRS. W. J. WOOD PASSES AWAY -- Aged And Esteemed Woman Of "Old South" Died Early This Morning.
Mrs. Belle Willingham Wood, widow of the late lamented W. J. Wood, esteemed citizen of Columbus, died this morning at 3:20 o'clock at the family residence, 1500 Fourth avenue. Announcement of her death has been the source of deep sorrow throughout the city today.
Mrs. Wood was born April 1, 1847, at Lawtonville, S. C. and with her husband moved to Columbus in 1853, where she had since lived. Her grandfather, Thos. Henry Willingham and her grandmother, who was Miss Sarah Choven, settled in South Carolina in 1790, purchasing a large tract of land on Sullivan's island, near Charleston, for the consideration of $50,000.
The father of Mrs. Wood was Thomas Willingham, Jr., who married Miss Phobe Sarah Lawton, of Buford district, S.C., and the wife of Thomas Willingham, Jr. and the mother of Mrs. Wood, was a daughter of Capt. Benjamin Dehon? Lawton and the mother of Miss Lawton was the daughter of Dr. George Moss, founder and president of a medical college in Savannah during the early history of that city. Mrs. Wood was a graduate of Limestone College, Gaffney, South Carolina.
Mrs. Wood is survived by one son and three daughters, W. J. Wood, of Dudley Lumber company of this city; Miss Edwina Wood, who is widely known as an educator, club and church woman, connected with the First Baptist church. Misses Laura and Marie Wood, all of this city. She was preceded to the grave by a son, Willingham Wood, well known resident of this city, whose death occurred some years ago. His widow and her son, Willingham Wood, survive and now in Washington, Ga. A number of other relatives survive, among them being the following nieces who live in Columbus: Miss Ruby Willingham and Mrs. M. B. Nuckolls and two great nieces, Mrs. O. R. Harvey, and Mrs. Tim Willis; a brother, W. J. Willingham of Florida, also survive her.
The deceased is a faithful and consistent member and worker in the First Baptist Church in this city for the entire time of residence in Columbus, nearly 40 years, and in the congregation of that church she will be sadly missed.
The funeral service will be conducted tomorrow morning at 10 o'clock from the residence of Dr. J. A. Davidson, pastor of the First Baptist Church, following which interment will be in the family plat of Linwood cemetery. The following friends of the family will act as pallbearers: Messrs: Bradley Nuckolls, Dan Joseph, Frank Dudley, Howard Bickerstaff, Geo. S. Hamburger and John C. Cook. per: Lois Goodin Hottinger