Nansemond County-Suffolk City Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Woodward, Hersey Sr., 1932 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ HERSEY WOODWARD SR. HERSEY WOODWARD, SR., LONG PROMINENT SUFFOLK CIVIC LEADER, DIES AT AGE OF 77 Had Served As Councilman Under Both Old and New City Governments Suffolk, Nov. 10 - All Suffolk mourned today when the news of the sudden death of one of the best loved citizens of the community became known - that of Hersey Woodward, Sr., who succumbed to a heart attack shortly after 12 o’clock at the home on North Main Street, aged 77 years. Mr. Woodward, who for the past 43 years had been teller at the Farmers’ Bank of Nansemond, and who was known to thousands of people in this city and community, was at his post stricken with an acute attack early this morning, and so desperate did his case appear, that his sons and daughter were summoned to his bedside. He rallied later, and hopes were entertained for his recovery, when he grew worse and the end came. Affectionately called by scores of his intimate friends "The Sage," Mr. Woodward was looked upon as an authority on Suffolk’s early history. The encroaching years had not dimmed his brilliant mind, nor deadened his memory, which was regarded as remarkable. He was the son of Richard Lafayette Woodward and Missouri Lassiter Woodward, and was born in the house in which he died, and in which five generations of Woodwards had been born. Served City on Council His early live in Suffolk was spent in the mercantile business, and in 1889 he accepted the position of teller at the Farmer Bank of Nansemond, then housed in the little brick building on North Main Street, long since torn down. He was a member of the Suffolk City Council when that body became effective under the City Manager form of government, and was asked by a committee of citizens to serve. He was a member of a committee which interviewed four other leading Suffolk citizens and asked them so serve on this council under the new form of government. He served on this council as chairman of the finance committee, until the expiration of his second term, when he declined re-election. He was for many years teacher of the Twentieth Century Baraca Class of the Suffolk Christian Church, in which he had held membership for a long number of years, and served the church for years as treasurer. He also served for a term of years as treasurer of the Eastern Virginia Conference. He was for a half century and six years a member of the Suffolk Lodge No. 30 A.F. & A.M., his half century mark as a member of this order having been celebrated several years ago with a banquet given in his honor by his fellow Masons. He held membership in Hiram Lodge No. 340, A.F. & A.M. He also was a member of Mount Nebo Royal Arch Chapter No. 20, and of the Order of the Eastern Star, in which he served for several terms of office as worthy patron; of the Order of Pythians, in which he was charter member, and of the Order of Odd Fellows. He served as secretary of both Suffolk Lodge No. 30, A.F.& A.M. and of Mount Nebo Royal Arch Chapter NO. 20 for more than 35 years. He also was a charter member of Suffolk Lodge No. 685, B.P.O. Elks. Widely read, of rare qualities of mind and heart, possessing a fine sense of humor, of good judgment and of tolerance, and having dispensed charity in its best sense for many years, his loss in this city and community will be keenly felt. Surviving his are his wife, Mrs. Augusta Saunders Woodward; five sons, Hersey Woodward, Jr., postmaster at Suffolk; Richard L. Woodward of Goldsboro, N.C.; James S. Woodward of Phoebus; Marmaduke E. Woodward and Thomas L. Woodward, of Suffolk; a daughter, Miss Marie Woodward, of Franklin; one brother, Richard L. Woodward, of Suffolk, and one sister, Mrs. R.H. Rawles, of Suffolk; seven grandchildren, Jacob Woodward, University of Virginia; Miss Sara Woodward, of Suffolk; Richard Delves, Hume and John Woodward, of Suffolk; Saunders and Frank Woodward of Phoebus; two nephews, Rawles Woodward, of Suffolk, and John Woodward, of South America. Funeral services will be held at the Suffolk Christian Church Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock, conducted by the Rev. H.S. Hardcastle, pastor, and the Rev. Dr. H.J. Goodwin, pastor of the First Baptist Church, and the Rev. H.N. Tucker, rector of St. Paul’s P.E. Church. Interment will be made with Masonic rites at the grave in Cedar Hill Cemetery. Members of both Suffolk Lodge No. 30, A.F. & A.M., and Hiram Lodge No. 340, A.F. & A.M., will be in charge. Members of Suffolk Lodge No. 685, B.P.O. Elks, will attend in a body. Hersey WOODWARD, Sr., bank teller & former Suffolk City Councilman, b. 2 Oct 1855, d. 10 Nov 1932, at home (birthplace), Suffolk, interred in Cedar Hill Cemetery (Block C, Lot 8*), Suffolk, 12 Nov 1932, "The Suffolk (VA) News-Herald," Nov. 11, 1932 *His parents are buried in Block C, Lot 24. Cedar Hill list, an extension of the Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/cemeteries/cedar_v.txt His widow's obit ("Suffolk News-Herald," Sep. 11, 1941) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/w363a1ob.txt His mother's obit ("Virginian-Pilot," Feb. 14, 1900, p. 8) is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/w363m2ob.txt Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/nansemond/obits/w363h1ob.txt