Strong Woman - Week 9

This week's post is for the 2018 challenge called, 52 Ancestors In 52 Weeks, by Amy Johnson Crow.  Theme for this week: Strong Woman

The strong woman I want to highlight in my blog post this week is Sarah Amanda May Wood.  Sarah was born on April 16, 1839 to Charles G May and Mary Broy May in Monroe County, Indiana.  Sarah's father, Charles, was a school teacher in rural Owen County.  

She married Nathan Wood, our Civil War veteran, on July 19, 1860.  In the pension application file at the National Archives, Sarah states in an affidavit dated, July 1, 1890, that they were married at the house of William Mills in Clay Township, Owen County, Indiana.  Mills was listed as a farmer on the 1860 census.  The Mills family and the May family are only a few pages from each other in the census, so I did a little research and discovered that William W. Mills was married to Sarah's sister, Margaret.  

Marriage Record, Owen County, Indiana

Marriage License from Civil War Pension File

Sarah Wood stating where she and Nathan were married

The reason I chose to write about Sarah Wood as my strong woman was because I reread her obituary recently.  

Reading older obituaries in the newspaper can give us so much insight into a person's life.  The sketch shown here was published in the Owen County Democrat on June 30, 1921.  Pay special attention to the highlighted text in pink.  

I transcribed the entire obituary so you can read it here:

Obituary 
The subject of this sketch, Sarah Amanda Wood, was born in Monroe County, Indiana, April 16, 1839 and died June 14, 1921 age 82 years, 1 month and 28 days, at the home of her son, Otis, in Owen County, Indiana.

She was the daughter of Charles and Polly May and with her parents, at the age of eleven years, moved to Owen County, near Spencer, Ind., where she spent her remaining years of her life.

She was united in marriage to Nathan Wood July 19, 1863 and to this union were born 8 children, one dying at the age of 4 years, 7 remaining to mourn the loss of a true and devoted mother.  

When the Civil War broke out in 1861 her husband volunteered and joining Co. D ’39 reg. went to the front leaving the care of home and two small children to the wife which task she nobly filled until the return of her husband. The father only remained at the front a short time when he was sent home on account of failing health. He never regained his health again and on July 1, 1886 he died leaving the cares of the family of children to her alone. With hard work and honest toll, oftentimes having many trying and difficult tasks to endure, provided the necessary things of life for her family.  The boys and girls grew to manhood and womanhood, marrying and going out to make homes of their own all except Otis who married and remained with his mother in his house.  She has spent the remaining days of her life where there was always welcome and willing hands to care for her and try to make life’s last days her most enjoyable ones.  She was taken sick on February 16 of infirmities of old age and as the days of suffering and comfort and cheer her in her hour of suffering could not stay the hand of death and after nearly four months and intense suffering, just at dawn of day she entered in sweet rest, there to await the coming of her Savior. 

Grandma Wood, as she was known by her friends and neighbors, was a loyal and true Christian woman having been converted and united with the M.E. church at Heddings Chapel at an early age, remaining until death, although nor permitted to attend church for a number of years on account of her health and hearing. She never lost faith in her Savior and when spoken to about getting well always answered, “if it is the Lord’s will and if not, all was well.” Grandma Wood was a kind neighbor and a true friend always upholding the right and despising the wrong, always trying to set a good example before all with who she became associated with.  She will be sadly missed in the community and the home where she lived and was most tenderly cared for in her last days.  There is left to mourn their loss, one sister living at Worthington, 4 sons and 3 daughters. Charles near Pottersville, Ind., Dora of near Arney, Ind., Emmett, of Redfield, Iowa. Estel and Mollie of Bloomington, Ind., Lula, of Danville, Ill., and Otis of near Spencer, Ind.; and forty-five grandchildren, also forty-one great grandchildren, 11 grandchildren having preceded her in death. Four grown grandchildren having died in a period less than eight months, each of the four brothers loosing one child.  A host of relatives and friends also remain.  

A place within our home is vacant; a shadow o’er our life is cast; dearest mother thou art gone from the earthy home, And left us here all alone to weep and mourn; But if we love and trust the God she loved so well; We shall meet her in that heavenly home, Where no farewells are said, And with Mother live forever.  

Sarah and Nathan Wood Gravestones, Adel Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana

Sarah Wood Gravestone, Adel Cemetery, Owen County, Indiana

Sarah was a testament to a woman of strength.  We know from previous posts about Nathan and his troubles after arriving home after the Civil War.  When he returned back to Owen County, they went on to have seven children before he died; however, it sounds as though she carried a large burden with the family because of his sickness.  

Now that you read the obituary, don't you wish you could have met Grandma Wood? Also, did you catch the one line that said, "Four grown grandchildren having died in a period less than eight months, each of the four brothers loosing one child."  Well, I guess I need to dig up some research on these grandchildren.  How sad! :(

Sarah Amanda May Wood sounds like a strong, sweet and lovable grandma.  Someday..."We shall meet her in that heavenly home, Where no farewells are said, And with Grandma Wood live forever."  

Sources
Nathan Wood and Sarah Amanda May, (19 July 1860), Owen County, Indiana, Marriage Record, Book D, 1854-1863: 450; Owen County Courthouse, 60 S Main St, Spencer, Indiana.

"Civil War Pension Application File,'" Affidavit Dated July 1, 1890, Case Files of Approved Pension Applications of Soldiers Who Served in Both the Mexican War and the Civil War, ca. 1847 - ca. 1888, Record Group 15, Records of the Department of Veterans Affairs,National Archives,Washington, D.C., United States.Certificate Included with Original Invalid Claim,15 May 1865,Application No. 439.771,Certificate No. 345.827.

Ancestry.com. 1860 United States Federal Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2009. Images reproduced by FamilySearch. Original data: 1860 U.S. census, population schedule. NARA microfilm publication M653, 1,438 rolls. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.

Obituary, The Owen County Democrat, Spencer, Indiana, United States, 30 June 1921, Page 5, Column 1 and 2. Obituary sketch for Sarah Amanda May Wood.