OCR Text |
Show history concerning the settling-" of Cedar and its early inhabitants inhabi-tants and assisted other mom-? bers in writing their family, histories. Quoting Mrs. Wood she says, "I have a firm, belief,, that all the ability I can tie. velop in this life I can use in my life to come." Now at the nso of 79, Will" and Rhoda spend their time; on their ranch raising cattle. Do they ever talk of retiring?. Yes, but they haven't found the recipe yet. i . ' .'M'.. i 1 ' l .... h I v ; ;, ''.,... , fr ; .' u a? - I V: ''. ! I ;; y 1 " '"A ..".'".V;'';!;; ij I t : .i. !.,;...?,;. V , I , "J l !" ' , MiA b'-;',t'li i'ti'. '7 ' ' tfW'" " ' 11 "" ielan and teacher. Though she has only published oils small book entitled "The Founders Speak" she has shared her writings with any who were doing pioneer research who have askad for her assistance. The material for Founders Speak came directly from the Cedar men who were living at the time, who worked In supplying sup-plying material for and in helping to build the first building for the Branch Normal Nor-mal College. She visited each one and got his story in his own words and entered them in that manner. Zolla Matheson, Captain of the Coal Crcok Camp, presented present-ed a life sketch of Mrs. Wood as fritten by herself. Born in Parowan on December Decem-ber 13, 188!) the daughter of Mettie Rasmussen and Alexander Alex-ander Gordon Matheson, Rhoda Rho-da has been involved in many advancements and activities in Iron County. The family moved to Cedar City where she help with fam-ily fam-ily responsibilities while attending at-tending school. She met Will Wood in Cedar City and they were married October 10, 1912 and lived on a farm north of town until 1929 when they built their home in town. They have five children including Mrs. June Danvors, Murray; ' Mrs. Esther Ilankins, Point Reyes Station, Calif.; Alex Wood, Phoenix, Ariz.; Lehi Wood, Cedar City and Grant Reo Wood, Bellingham, Wash. They also have 17 grandchildren. grandchil-dren. Mrs. Wood has always been an active member of the LDS Church and has served in every ev-ery auxiliary organization in various capacities. Early in the organization of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers Pio-neers Rhoda was asked to be the historian. In this capacity she felt it her duty to write HONORED BY ' DUP. Mrs. Rhoda M. Wood, center, was honored this week by the combined camps of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers. She is flanked by. her husband, Will Wood, and a daughter, Mrs. Esther Hanking. Daughters of Pioneers honor historian Mrs. Rhoda Matheson Wood, local historian, was honored by the Daughters of Utah Pio- noers in their meeting held Friday, May 16th, in the LDS Institute. Mrs. Wood knew most of the original Cedar City Pioneers, has been interested in their lives, has known the sacrifices they mad.? in leaving their homes in Europe and coming across the plains to Utah, and has cared enough to write some of their history and the early history of Cedar City down for the benefit of their children. Rhoda has kept a day to day diary since she was sixteen which has contributed much in dates and detail to her writing. writ-ing. She is writer, poet, mus- |