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- from "The Clarinda Herald". 2 Nov 1925 (clarinda.advantage-preservation.com)
The passing of William Norris Woods, on Oct. 27th at his home on W. Clark Street, closes the life career of one of the earliest settlers of this section or country. Mr. Woods helped to lay out the city of College Springs, being there before houses had been built, and years ahead of any towns as Clarinda or Shenandoah. He came in the days when the covered wagon route was the most popular means of travel, and when the railway had been built only 25 miles this side of the Mississippi River, it being necessary to make the trip from Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, to Page County in a buggy or wagon. The first settlers to the present site of College Springs came as a committee from Monmouth, Ill., to choose a site for a college. Finding the fine spring of never failing water there, gave the name "Springs" to the town, and as they shortly after started Amity College at the new settlement, the town was names College Springs. Then came Mr. Woods, forming part of the vanguard of civilization, religion. and education in this country. Two years later in 1859 the Dow family came to become a part of the settlement. One member of the Dow family was Miss Mary Elizabeth Dow, who was married in 1859 to William N. Woods, and lives at the home in Clarinda surviving her husband. As time passed, children were born into the home. but all have passed over except the daughter, Miss Melicent Woods, who survives to be the protector of her mother. But the family have not lived in this vicinity all these years. Early in life Wllliam Woods had joined the Free Presbyterian Church, at their home back in Pennsylvania. The name Free came from their being enemies to slavery, which then existed in the south. When the movement started toward Kansas, struggling to make the new state free instead of slave, the William Woods family moved to Kansas, and have lived in other places, including Kentucky. They came to Clarinda in 1886, and have lived in Page County during the intervening years. Mr. Woods was born December 8, 1829, being thus not quite 96 years
of age. He comes from a long lived, family having a sister who died last spring at the age of 87, while his grandfather died and was burled in Clarinda at the age of 92 years. Two of his brothers are living, Prof. J.A. Woods of Ellisport, Wash., who was former superintendent of schools in Clarinda and an early school teacher here and L.P. Woods now resident at Kirksville. Mo. Funeral services for William N. Woods were held Friday morning from the Harmon Funeral Home, conducted by the Rev. Alfred T. Bishop, D.D., the Presbyterian
church here being without a regular pastor at this time. Interment was in Clarinda cemetery.
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1829 - 1925 (95 years)
William W Woods, b. 15 Feb 1800, West Salem, Mercer, PA 