OBITS: David Wood, 29 Apr 1892; formerly of Dutchess co., New York

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Source: Davis County Clipper
Utah Digital Newspapers
http://www.lib.utah.edu/digital/unews/davis.html

OBITUARY

Daniel Wood was born in Duchess county, New York, October 16,1 800. He was the
second child of Henry Wood and Elizabeth Demelt. His father removed to Ernest
Town, Canada, with his family in the year 1803 where he lived about five
years, when he moved to the town of Sidneyham, Ontario, here he remained and
(taped over) of fifteen children; nine boys and six daughters. He made it a
point to start hissons out with forty acres of land, one yoke of oxen, two
cows and ten sheep.

At the age of twenty-two Daniel married Mary E. Snider and started out with
his apportionment and was prospered in this place for eight years, being
blessed with three children, John, Henry and Rebekah, when the elders of the
church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints found him and a number of
prosperous neighbors. They only preached a few times, but they left with the
little village a strong desire to investigate and be baptized, and by
continuing their meetings as best they could alone, he became so convinced
that he sould be baptized that he requested it of a methodist. Shortly after
Brigham and Joseph Young appeared and explained the order of the church fo
Christ more perfectly, and had the privilege of leading the little already
prepared colony down into the waers of baptism.

He was ordained an elder and remained and preached until the summer of 1834
whe he sold his possessions and with his wife and three children went to
Kirtland, Ohio. He bought a farm four miles south of Kirtland and lived there
until 1838 when he went to Davis county, Missouri, arriving there the 11th of
June. There again he took up a farm but was unable to remain on account of the
mob. So about the first of October he went to the far west. Here the mob
surrounded them again and Joseph Smith and others were betrayed into the
enemies hands and the city was put under guard. There were out of provisions,
having been driven from their grain. So Daniel went in with the mob (called
soldiers) and with the rest gave the number of his family and received his
rations, they not being aware that he was a Mormon.

In February they started for Illinois. He had a cow he paid sixty dollars for.
A party wanted to buy her; he asked $18 but did not sell. On the road another
came to buy and he asked $20. Again another came and he asked $22, and still
another came and he sold at $24.  He ought to have gotten rich if he had not
sold so soon, as he told the last he was going to raise $2 every time.

He bought 40 acres of ground about eighteen miles from Nauvoo. Here the mob
followed and his son stood guard night and day while his mother was sick with
ague and unhoused.

In 1843 he removed to Nauvoo. He be became acquainted with Peninah Cotton, an
orphan girl, and married her. They soon prepared to leave not knowing where
they were going. He landed in Salt Lake in the fall of 1848. He came to
Bountiful immediately and built the fourth house in the settlement. It was the
first on Mill Creek and was located where the county road now runs, just a
little south of where Simon's house now stands.

In about two years he located his farm, having 180 acres. Four years later he
undertook the mammoth task of building that lare adobie house, and completed
the main part and soon afterward added the back rooms. This was the largest
and best house in this part of the country at that time.

His family being quite large, he started a school in his own house, taught by
his wife, Emma and as soon as possible he employed a male teacher. The school
continued the greater part of the year, his own children faithfully attending,
he obtaining good support from the outside. Thus his school was a good start
for the new country a thousand miles from civilization.

About 1860 he built a family meeting house about 20x40, one story, with
basement and belfry from which came the welcome chimes of his seventy dollar
bell. To this building he moved his school. Meetings were held on eveyr
Wednesday night and on other special occasions. He had a choir and a string
band in his own family, and was not too sanctimonious to have a jig even at
his family meetings. One evening when Joseph Young was present at the meeting,
the band started up and he jumped out on the floor and showed those present
how nimble he was. The general public was invited and they responded well, as
he often had good speakers from the city and elsewhere.

Every Christmas while others were feasting, his family was fasting and having
a meeting of prayer, and making right the little misunderstands and disputes
of the old year. These meetings were continued until quite recently.

He was in Canada when the Utah Central R.R. was put through his field andthe
depot located on his ground, but the family wrote the particulars, which did
not please him, and when he came home it was late at night and when the
conductor awoke him by announcing the name of the station, "Wood's Cross" he
replied "yes, and d  cross, toss." He could not see the propriety of the broad
for he he considered his ground tood to raise corn on to be used for a rail
road.

He has been a great worker in his day even at the age of seventy-five he could
take a hand with most of the young men. He lived to the good old age of ninty-
two and his eye sight was good enough to read the Testiment and D. & C. and
these were were the only books he read. His firm frame might have been seen
plodding along the streets only a few weeks before his death, and the day
before he was taken sick he sat in his little private cemetery, on his farm,
where he has twenty-five of his family laid, and showed his daughter where he
wanted to be put away to rest. This little treasure was his main one of late,
ahd he kept an old chair in it in which he passed away many hours.

He leaves a large family to mourn his loss, as he had ten wives, thirty-two
children, and about one hundred grand children.

His funeral services were held in the East Bountiful tabernacle Wed. 2 p.m.
The stand and casket were beautifully decorated. On either side of the puplit
stood four nicely craped flower pots, six of which contained living plants in
bloom, the remaining two contained bouquets. On the white casket was placed a
sheaf of wheat and a beautiful arch of artificial flowers with these words in
violet upon a white background: "Welcome Home."

P. G. Sessions, Richard Duerden, E. Pace, David Stoker, Louis Grant, Archie
Hill, Joseph F. Smith and H. J. Grant were the speakers.

The local brethren spoke on the views the deceased had entertained and on the
praisworthy traits of his character. Joseph F. Smith occupied most of the
time. Said he had passed away proving faithful to the end. The speaker
mentioned that all the children of the deceased were in the faith. The
principel of death was commented upon and explained it to be only a separation
of the body and soul for a time, and that the Savior had redeemed us from the
fall brought into the world by Adam. He further said that as we are laid away
so we will rise again on the resurrection day. When a child is laid away it
will still be a child when it is resurrected. He thought it would cause
confusion in families if members, who are smallwhen laid to rest, should while
in the grave grow to their full stature, as parents would not know them. He
maintained that the members of the body which had been severed at or (taped
over) would (taped) united (taped over) who appeared (taped over) as a whole
man, also Peter and James, the latter of whom was beheaded. He thought the
stunted, the cripple and the afflicted would, after the resurrection, grow ot
their full statue, being perfect in every particular. In his closing remarks,
he hoped he would be able to remain faithful and unwavering to the end as the
departed brother had done.

Heber J. Grant mentioned a brief rule by which true doctrine could be told
from false, which is, that true doctrine always brings us hope and joy.

After the audience had viewed the remains they were taken to their final
resting place in his own cemetery. Sexton Taylor's hearse headed the
procession, which consisted of fifty-six vehicles.