Sarah Elizabeth Wood

Sarah Elizabeth Wood

Sarah Elizabeth Wood Rice, 1844-1920

• Father: Mathew Wood b. 4 July 1805, d. 15 January 1876
• Mother: Mourning Atkinson b. 28 November 1807, d. 29 June 1877

• Sarah Elizabeth Wood was born on 4 April 1844 in Anderson District, South Carolina, or, more likely, Alabama.
• She was known as Sallie.
• Mathew Wood and Mourning Atkinson appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1850 in Talladega District, Talladega County, Alabama. Other members of the household included Sarah Elizabeth Wood, Uriah Griffin Wood, Letitia Ann Wood, Abi Wood, Esther Wood, William R. Wood, James Frank Wood, Willis H. Wood and Floyd C. Wood.
• Mathew Wood and Mourning Atkinson appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1860 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas. Other members of the household included Sarah Elizabeth Wood, William R. Wood and Floyd C. Wood.
• She married Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice, son of Ibzan Rice and Barbara Brazeale, on 25 December 1866 in Smith County, Texas, with D. W. Crow(n) officiating.
• Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice and Sarah Elizabeth Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1870 in Etna, Smith County, South Carolina, living next door to Sallie, William and Easther's father.. Other members of the household included Anagusta Rice, William R. Wood, Esther Wood, George W. Longley and Johnnie Longley.
• Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice and Sarah Elizabeth Wood appeared in the US federal census of 1 June 1900 in Smith County, Texas. Other members of the household included Ibzan Leftwich Rice, William Wade Rice, Elbert Dean Rice, Clen Rice and Clifton Rice.
• A photographic portrait was made of Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice and his wife Sarah Elizabeth Wood.
• Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice and Sarah Elizabeth Wood appeared in the US federal census of 15 April 1910 in Smith County, Texas, at Tyler & Bullard Road. Other members of the household included Clifton Rice.
• Sarah Elizabeth Wood became a widow at the 21 June 1918 death of her husband Hezakiah Fleetwood Rice.
• Clifton Rice and Jennie (?) appeared in the US federal census of 1 January 1920 in Smith County, Texas, at Tyler & Bullard Road. Other members of the household included Sarah Elizabeth Wood.
• Sarah Elizabeth Wood died on 18 January 1920 at age 75 in Tyler, Smith County, Texas.
• She was interred at Smith Cemetery, Smith County, Texas, about four miles south of Tyler.
• The following appeared in the Some Biographies of Old Settlers--Historical, Personal and Reminiscent (1900):
       Matthew Wood and Family
       Matthew Wood was born in Henry County, Georgia, July 5th, 1805. He moved to Bibb County, Alabama, with his father's family before the Indians had left that country.
       He married Miss Mourning Adkinson, of Alabama; they had eleven children--M. R., J. W., U. G., L. A., Abi, Esther, W. R., J. F., W. H., S. E., and F. C.
       M. R. married Rachel Goodgame; they had two children. J. W. married Jane Thompson; they had five children. U. G. married Kittie Farrington; they had seven children. L. A. married J. F. Baswell; they had one child. Abi married W. H. Chancellor. Ester married Isaac Longley; they had four children. W. R. married Missouri Brooks; they had three children. J. F. married Matilda Johnson they had six children, W. H. died at the age of 15. S. E. married H. F. Rice; they had nine children. Floyd never married.
       Mathew Wood first settled in the Bascom neighborhood. He then settled three miles east of Tyler where he died.
       He held the office of Justice of the Peace, and was mayor of Tyler at one time. He was an honest man--an honest official. He died since the Civil War leaving a good name behind him, a good heritage for his children.
       The descendants of Mathew Wood are among our best people; intelligent and upright in their dealings with their fellow man.
• Photographs and much of the information on the Rice branch of the Wood family are found here thanks to the generosity of Charlies Wood "Woody" Rice.

• Last Edited: 26 Apr 2015

• Charts: Descendants of WOOD William & Lydia Ballentine