Forrest Nathan Wood
Forrest Wood was our mother’s father. He was the oldest child of Nathaniel Lyon Wood and Julia Etta Wilcox. He was born 6 June, 1890 on Nathaniel’s farm in Wayne County, Pennsylvania. He grew up surrounded by family with a strong familial identity. He attended school in a one room school-house and worked on his father’s farm.
In 1909 Forrest married Harriet Pomery Rosevear. Harriet had come to Wayne County, specifically to Beach Lake, with her mother and two brothers from England in 1902. In 1910 Forrest and Harriet are living on their own farm in Damascus township, Wayne County, with Harriet’s mother Emma Jane Pomery and her two brothers, William and John. Forrest and Harriet worked their own farm for nearly 15 years before they moved to Binghamton, New York. Three of their children were born on the farm in Pennsylvania, Rhoda, the oldest, born about 1911, Carl born about 1917, and Dorrance born about 1920. By 1925 the family has moved to Binghamton, New York. Forrest is working as a salesman and their second daughter, Dorothy, is two years old. They are living at 25 Charlotte Street, just south of the railroad tracks. Their third daughter, Joyce - our mother - was born in 1927. In the 1930 Federal Census the family is listed as living at 54 Rotary Avenue and Forrest is working as an engineer for a washing machine company. The company may have been the Binghamton Washing Machine manufacturers on Clinton Street. An engineer at this time meant someone who worked with engines or motors. Contrary to the census, the Binghamton City Directory for 1930 lists Forrest and Harriet living at 26 Haendel Street. In 1932 Harriet purchased 4.46 acres of land in the Town of Kirkwood, just east of the Binghamton City limits. She assumed a mortgage of $1,300.00 from the previous owner. In 1933 Harriet purchased the house at 26 Franklin Street, where the family moved. In 1936 Forrest purchased 12 acres contiguous with the 4.46 acres of land Harriet bought in the 1932. Forrest and Harriet eventually owned properties that included over 20 acres in total, with lots in Kirkwood just East of the Binghamton city limits, the Towns of Dickinson and Chenango, north of Binghamton, and two other houses in Binghamton’s First Ward as well as a lot on Binghamton’s north side. The properties in the Towns of Dickinson and in Kirkwood were where Forrest began his own business selling used automobiles and parts. Our mother spoke of living on upper Court Street (town of Kirkwood) and of her father’s “Yard” on upper Front street, both corresponding to the locations of these properties. Forrest’s business included driving to Florida to purchase cars at automobile auctions. During some years Forrest’s sons Carl and Dorrance worked at the “Yard” and it is possible that Forrest’s brother Effinger did also. The 1934 Binghamton City Directory list both Forrest and Effinger living at 26 Franklin Street and working as salesmen. |
Forrest Wood's FamilyForrest N. Wood
born 6 June 1890, Boyd's Mills, Wayne County, Pennsylvania died April 1945, buried Calkins cemetery, Wayne County, Pennsylvania Married: Harriett ‘Kate’ Rosevear, born Dec. 1890, Millom, Cumberland, England; died 25 November 1979. buried Binghamton, New York Children: 1. Rhoda Harriet born: 16 November 1910; died: 23 December 1977 m. John (Jack) Novitske buried St. Patrick's Cemetery, Whitney Point 2. Beatrice May born: 13 October 1914 died: 15 December 1914 buried Calkins Cemetery, Wayne County, PA 3. Carl Ivan born: 10 April 1915 died: 2 January 1991 m. Zadia Knapp m. Marjorie Hamblin m. Julia Vaughn m. RubyRelaford 4. Dorrance Nelson (Dorney; also Woody) born: 18 October 1919 died: April 1979 m. Helen Harahus m. Myrtle Courtney buried: Cavalry Cemetery, Johnson City, NY 5. Dorothy born: 2 January 1923 died: 19 May 2000 m. Frederick E. Lane buried: Phoenix, Arizona 6. Beulah Joyce (preferred Joyce) born 8 December 1927 died: 17 February 2013 m. Donald A. Wheeler buried: Spring Forest Cemetery, Binghamton, New York |