Woods family celebrates heritage
Published 12:00 am Monday, June 28, 2004
Bill Woods just wanted to know where his grandfather was buried.
Growing up, Woods knew of his grandfather, who died before he was born. But his knowledge was limited and he was left with a longing to learn more about his family and hopefully pay his respects.
“My grandfather was Louis Fellows Woods and he died before I was born,” Woods said. “I was always very curious about whatever happened to grandfather. The only thing my father ever said about my grandfather was that he owned a plantation. So I wanted to know more.”
When he mentioned it to a close friend, Marilyn Arnold, she put her considerable talents toward finding more out.
“She said, ‘I can find him,'” Woods said. Arnold knew that L. F. Woods worked on the Panama Canal from stories and pictures Woods’ grandmother had given him.
With a little Internet research, patience and determination, Arnold discovered Woods was related to one of the most populous families in the Selma area, the Woods.
Through Arnold, Woods discovered he was related to 13 brothers and sisters, his great-great-grandparents and granduncles who went on to “populate the earth,” as family historian Bob Parrot said.
Woods found he had more family that he knew what to do with. These thirteen brothers and sisters branched off, and the Russells, the Morrisons and the McGees are all descendants of these 13 siblings.
On Friday, the descendants of the Woods, gathered at Major Grumbles, and heard the family’s history back to 1260 in Ireland.
Parrot told the crowd about Andrew Woods and his ten children, who started the Woods clan as it’s known to day.
A. Woods came to America with his nine children and wife. During the trip to Philadelphia, to meet relatives in 1725 or 1726, Andrew and eight of his children died, leaving Joseph Woods to carry on the family name.
Later the Joseph’s family migrated to the South and wound up participating in the formation of America.
The family’s history is a point of pride with the extended clan.
“(This) forms a really magnificent family,” Parrot said. “We have a tremendous heritage and I think it’s so rich we ought to preserve it as best as we can.”