William Hood Sr., born 1844, is the son of Duncan Hood and Nancy BLADES (See Death Certificate posted). And William Sr. is the grandson of the very early Greene Co. Pioneer William Hood who settled in now what is the SW part of Center Township in the late 1830s. Both William b. 1790-1800 and his son Duncan b. 1810-1820, and not yet married, appear as Heads of Households in the 1840 census for Greene Co. Missouri. Both William and Duncan died before the date of the 1850 census. It has been reported that William died in 1844 and was married to Sarah . A published Bio states that Duncan died in 1849 and we know that he was married to Nancy BLADES (DC).

William Hood Sr. was a veteran of the Civil War serving in the Missouri Home Guards.
U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865
Name: William Hood
Side: Union
Regiment State/Origin: Missouri
Regiment Name: Capt. Abernathy's Co. (C), Greene County Reg't., Missouri H.G.
Regiment Name Expanded: Greene County Regiment, Missouri Home Guard
Company: C
Rank In: Private
Rank In Expanded: Private
Rank Out: Private
Rank Out Expanded: Private
Film Number: M390 roll 22

This information below is from a published History of Greene Co. Missouri. It is about a younger brother of William Hood Sr. b. 1844. This is confirmed by the 1850 census where he is living with William and is widowed mother Nancy. This bio suggests that both his father Duncan and grandfather William were born in Germany, immigrated first to TN and then to Greene Co. by the time of the 1840 census.

Bio from published history of Grenee Co. MO.
JAMES D. HOOD. Although many believe to the contrary, luck plays a very unimportant part in the average man's career. We generally like to excuse our own shortcomings and account for the success of other men on the grounds of luck. A fertilized soil, rotation of crops, well fenced land, intelligently tilled fields, well kept machinery, painted houses and convenient outbuildings and blooded live stock are not the result of luck, unless hard work persistently and intelligently directed can be characterized as luck. One of the farmers of western Greene county who evidently put greater stress on industry and vigilance than on the vicissitudes of luck is James D. Hood, who has been content to spend his life in his native locality which he has helped to develop into what it is to today--a prosperous and desirable farming country.

Mr. Hood, was born in Greene county, Missouri, December 31, 1848. He is a son of Duncan and Nancy (Blades) Hood. The father was a native of Germany, where he spent his boyhood, finally emigrating to the United States, and after spending some time in the state of Tennessee came on to Missouri and located on a farm in Greene county, where he spent the rest of his life, dying when a young man, at the age of twenty-eight years, in 1849, when our subject was an infant.

Supporting Census data:
1840 United States Federal Census
Name: Duncan Hood
COUNTY: Greene
State: Missouri
Free White Persons - Males - 20 thru 29: 1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 1
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 1
Total Free White Persons: 1
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 1
Source Citation: Year: 1840; Census Place: , Greene, Missouri; Roll: 223; Page: 286; Image: 1285; Family History Library Film: 0014855.

1840 United States Federal Census
Name: Wm Hood
COUNTY: Greene
State: Missouri
Free White Persons - Males - Under 5: 2
Free White Persons - Males - 5 thru 9: 1
Free White Persons - Males - 40 thru 49: 1
Free White Persons - Females - Under 5: 1
Free White Persons - Females - 5 thru 9: 3
Free White Persons - Females - 15 thru 19: 2
Free White Persons - Females - 40 thru 49: 1
Total - All Persons (Free White, Free Colored, Slaves): 11
Persons Employed in Agriculture: 3
Free White Persons - Under 20: 9
Free White Persons - 20 thru 49: 2
Total Free White Persons: 11
Total All Persons - Free White, Free Colored, Slaves: 11
Source Citation: Year: 1840; Census Place: , Greene, Missouri; Roll: 223; Page: 300; Image: 1313; Family History Library Film: 0014855.

Both Sarah, widow of William Hood and Nancy, widow of Duncan Hood appear as Heads of Household in the 1850 census for Polk Twp, Greene Co. Mo. Note: Polk Twp does not exist today and Center Twp is part of the old Polk Twp.

1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Sarah Hood
Age: 52
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1798
Birth Place: North Carolina
Gender: Female
Home in 1850 Polk, Greene, Missouri
Sarah Hood 52
Mary A Hood 21
Eliza A Hood 18
Sarah M Hood 16
Margiris L Hood 13
Rebecca Hood 10
Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Polk, Greene, Missouri; Roll: M432_400; Page: 288A; Image: 92.

This census record show William Sr. at age 6 living with his widowed mother Nancy Blades:
1850 United States Federal Census
Name: Nancy E L Hood
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1828
Birth Place: Tennessee
Gender: Female
Home in 1850 Polk, Greene, Missouri
Family Number: 656
Household Members: Name Age
Nancy E L Hood 22
Sarah A Hood 9
William E Hood 6
Elen E Hood 4
James D Hood 2
Source Citation: Year: 1850; Census Place: Polk, Greene, Missouri; Roll: M432_400; Page: 288B; Image: 93.

This census record shows William Sr. living with his mother Nancy who has remarried to a Thomas W. Brown.
1860 United States Federal Census
Name: William Hood
Age in 1860: 15
Birth Year: abt 1845
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1860: Center, Greene, Missouri
Gender: Male
Post Office: Bois d Ark
Thomas W Brown 46
Nancy E Brown 36
Sarah Hood 18
Ellem Hood 14
William Hood 15
James D Hood 12
Mary Batson 6
Source Citation: Year: 1860; Census Place: Center, Greene, Missouri; Roll: M653_621; Page: 220; Image: 220; Family History Library Film: 803621.

This census record shows William Sr. at age 25 living with his mother Nancy who has been widowed again.
1870 United States Federal Census
Name: William Hood 25
Birth Year: abt 1845
Age in 1870: 25
Birthplace: Missouri
Home in 1870: Center, Greene, Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Male
Nancy Brown 47
Sarah Hood 28
William Hood 25
James Hood 21
Mary Betson 17
John Brown 9
Isaac Brown 4
Isaac Betson 15
Source Citation: Year: 1870; Census Place: Center, Greene, Missouri; Roll: M593_777; Page: 157B; Image: 318; Family History Library Film: 552276.

Here is William Sr., unmarried, still living with his twice widowed mother
1880 United States Federal Census
Name: W. E. Hood
Home in 1880: Center, Greene, Missouri
Age: 35
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1845
Birthplace: Missouri
Relation to Head of Household: Son
Father's birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's name: N. L. Brown
Mother's birthplace: Tennessee
Neighbors: View others on page
Occupation: Farmer
Marital Status: Single
Race: White
Gender: Male
N. L. Brown 54
J. L. Brown 19
I. D. Brown 14
W. E. Hood 35
Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Center, Greene, Missouri; Roll: 688; Family History Film: 1254688; Page: 185A; Enumeration District: 41; Image: 0071

William Sr. has now married in 1888 and they have a number of children, one of whom, William Hood b. 1893, is my "Uncle Bill," husband of Jewell Thurman, my mother's sister.
1900 United States Federal Census
Name: William E Hood
Home in 1900: Center, Greene, Missouri
[Center, Greene, Missouri]
Age: 54
Birth Date: Sep 1845
Birthplace: Missouri
Race: White
Gender: Male
Relationship to head-of-house: Head
Father's Birthplace: Tennessee
Mother's Birthplace: Tennessee
Spouse's Name: Grace T Hood
Marriage year: 1888
Marital Status: Married
Years married: 12
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
William E Hood 54
Grace T Hood 35
Effie M Hood 10
James D Hood 7
William Hood 7
Roscoe P Hood 4
Susie M Hood 1
Freddie Brown 26
Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Center, Greene, Missouri; Roll: T623_856; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 46.