Cornelia LeGrand Wood

b. 22 May 1885, d. 9 April 1965

Cornelia LeGrand Wood Garvin, 1885-1965
  • According to an account written by Green Mark Wood's granddaughter Cornelia LeGrand Wood Garvin, the first place they lived after reaching Texas was the old Sharp Whitley place. This they rented for two years, Danville Texas being their post office. Then he bought 1000 acres of land paying $1.00 per acre, then in Walker County but now San Jacinto. Here they lived only one year. Then they moved to or near New Waverly, where they were living when son Rush Brevard enlisted in the Army in March 1864.
  • Cornelia LeGrand Wood was born on 22 May 1885 in Texas.
  • She was known as Neelie.
  • Rush Brevard Wood and Mahalah J. Hamilton appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Grimes County, Texas. Other members of the household included Cornelia LeGrand Wood, Katie Bertha Wood, Carrie Brevard Wood, Felix Clark Garner and William Henry Garner.
  • She married Archie Edward Garvin, son of S. Archibald M. Garvin and Annie E. Loggins, on 26 January 1902 in Grimes County, Texas.
  • Archie Edward Garvin and Cornelia LeGrand Wood appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910. Other members of the household included Annie E. Loggins.
  • Archie Edward Garvin and Cornelia LeGrand Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 January 1920 in Richards, Grimes County, Texas. Other members of the household included Annie E. Loggins.
  • The following was written by Cornelia LeGrand Wood Garvin and attached as an appendix to a version of Campbell Wood's "Memoir":
         On Jan. 7, 1924, in my home at Richards, Texas, my father visited me (Cornelia Wood Garvin), requesting me to give a brief sketch of himself and family, as he had been asked to furnish same for his Great niece Fanny Kate Burnside (nee Wood) of Wichita Falls Texas. He being 77 years of age (or will be the 31st of this month) felt like he could not undertake the task.
         My father Rush Brevard Wood was born Jan. 31st 1847, near Montgomery Ala. and in 1849-50 when he was near three years of age, his parents Green M. Wood and Mary Jane Wood moved to Texas.
         They came by passenger steamer from Montgomery Ala. to Mobile Ala. via New Orleans La. to Galveston Texas – thence to Houston Texas where they put up at the old Capitol Hotel where the Rice Hotel now stands.
         The first place they lived after reaching Texas was the old Sharp Whitley place. This they rented for two yrs, Danville Texas being their Post Office. Then his father bought 1000 acres of land paying $1.00 per acre, then in Walker Co. but now San Jacinto. Here they lived only one year, when they moved to or near New Waverly.
         They were living here when my father enlisted in the Army in March 1864 (the exact date he can’t recall). He was in Tom Green’s Brigade, H. W. Fisher’s Company, Company G. He was 17 years old when he enlisted and served until the close of the war which was (he thinks May 1865). His parents was very much opposed to his going to war as arrangements had been made for him to continue in school. When they noticed in the papers where they were going to conscript from 17 to 50 years of age, Grandfather knowing then he would have to go, provided him with means to go on. At the close of the war he together with his friend Jack Williamson received an honorable discharge. He returned home without being wounded. Below I will give copies of letters written while he was in service from his parents. Written 60 years ago. . . .
         At the close of the war my father returned home and engaged in farming. He also had tools for making shoes. This he followed for quite awhile. [Inserted in typescript: Before my father entered the war, he being just a boy about 15 years of age persuaded his father to buy him a set of cobblers tools for making shoes, which he did. They were still living at Danville Texas. And the first pair of shoes he made was a no. 3 for his brother Solomon. He made shoes for the negroes as well. The nearest place where they could buy shoes was Brownsville Texas, which was quite a distance.]
         In 1867 (in July) an epidemic of yellow fever broke out at Huntsville, Texas. Some of the neighbors having never seen a case of the fever went over to see it. They of course took it and caused it to break out in the neighborhood where they were living. Grandfather Wood went to nurse. When my father asked permission of Grandmother to let him go and send Grandpa home - which she consented to – and Papa nursed for three months before he himself took it. He was nursed by Uncle Campbell Wood and Miss Martha Hopkins. He hired a negro to keep fires for him. I have often heard him tell how he was watched when he went into the sick room to begin nursing, to see if he would obey the Dr’s rules. When they were convinced that he would not disobey he became the “Boss Nurse” as he expressed it. Right here I will say that during my recollection he has been sent for far and near during sickness and he has been ever ready and willing to administer to the sick. It was during the yellow fever epidemic just mentioned that his sweetheart, a young lady to whom he was engaged, died – Miss Ella Myers. Before she was taken sick she laughingly told him if she took yellow fever she did not want him to come to see her. And she was sick only six hours when she sent for him to nurse her.
         In 1874 he married Katie Reed of Huntsville Texas, Walker Co., and to this union ten children were born. (Mama died Jan. 13th 1895 of pneumonia; she is buried at Fairview.) [Note: The accompanying list of children, spouses, grandchildren, etc., is omitted here.] After Mama’s death my father married Mrs. Mahalah Garner. They had no children. She died of cancer Dec. 23, 1908.
         My father was at one time a member of the Baptist church, but in the county where he lived they had free range for hogs. He had a nice bunch that had been missing for some time. He found them late one Saturday afternoon, fixed a temporary pen to hold them. When they awoke on Sunday morning there was a brisk norther blowing a fine spell for hog killing so he killed his hogs on Sunday. While they were busy one of his neighbors came in to spend the day. He was a Deacon of the same church to which my father belonged. He stayed for dinner. He asked if he wasn’t afraid he would be turned out of the church. He told him he felt like the ox was in the ditch. He had a family to care for. When the neighbor started home, my father filled a sack with pork and gave to him. When conference met his neighbor had reported him and when my father was called upon to make acknowledgements, he told them that he killed his hogs on Sunday and did not regret it – and they permanently withdrew fellowship. After this he united with the Christian church, to which church he is still a member.
  • Archie Edward Garvin and Cornelia LeGrand Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 April 1930 in Anderson, Grimes County, Texas. Other members of the household included Annie E. Loggins.
  • Cornelia LeGrand Wood became a widow at the 3 October 1934 death of her husband Archie Edward Garvin.
  • Members of the Wood family gathered for a Sunday afternoon barbeque, about 1940.
  • Cornelia LeGrand Wood died on 9 April 1965 at age 79 in Grimes County, Texas.
  • She was interred at Fairview Cemetery, Grimes County, Texas, near Richards.
  • Last Edited: 25 Feb 2016

Family: Archie Edward Garvin b. 19 September 1879, d. 3 October 1934