| Notes |
- Obituary of Mrs. Nellie Woods Lester
Nellie Woods Lester was born on a farm in Decature County, Iowa, near
Grand River Dec. 23, 1874, and died Nov. 15, 1973, at the Good Samaritan
Center in Indianola, Iowa at the age of 98.
She was one of nine children born to William McCandless Woods and Emma
Bassett Woods. A biographical sketch of her parents is given in the book
Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decature Counties",
published in 1887 by the Lewis Pub. Co. of Chicago. When she was 14, the
family came to Indianola, and in 1895 purchased a farm four and one-half miles
south of Indianola, now owned by Mrs. Beulah Durham. Mr. Woods died that same
year, leaving his widow and seven surviving children who continued to live
there for a number of years.
On October 28, 1903, Nellie was united in marriage at the Woods home
to a neighbor, Frank Lewis Lester, the only child of Wiley W. Lester and Mary
Starbuck Lester. Frank and Nellie lived on the Lester farm until 1919 when
they came to Indianola to live at 309 W. Second so their three children could
attend school. They moved back to the farm in 1925. After the sudden death of
her husband in Jan. 1930, Nellie continued to manage the farm with her sons.
She was a long time member of the First and Trinity United
Presbyterian Church, and of the Round Grove P.T.A. and Club. Her love a
devotion to family and friends was outstanding.
Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her brothers Will,
Ralph, Freddie and Sidney, and by her sisters, Lillie, Mildred and Edn
The last years of her life were spent in the Crouse Nursing Home, in
the home of her daughter and son-in-law, Doris and Walter Lawson of Indianola,
and in the Good Samaritan Center.
In addition to her daughter, she is survived by her son Orville and
his wife, Gwendolyn, and son Harold, of R. 1, Indianola; a brother, Hugh Woods
of Fullerton, California; four grand children; two great grandchildren; four
nieces and four nephews.
Funeral services were conducted by Mr. Arthur Eady of Indianola on
Nov. 19, at the Overton Funeral Home. Interment was in the Indianola Cemetery.
(Notes by her daughter Doris)
Nellie was married at the home of her mother to Frank by J.T. Hopkins,
Minister. Her sister Edna Said: The family bought property in Indianola where
the former A.T.O house is. It must have been just after they came from Decatur
County. The grandfather, H.S. Woods, came from Knoxville, Ill. to Grand River
and bought property (160 acres each) for each of their children at two dollars
an acre. The book "Biographical and Historical Record, Ringgold and Decatur
Counties" states that H.S Woods entered 1300 acres in Decatur County in 1854.
In 1910, Nellie's mother Emma Woods and sister Edna and brother Ralph
left their farm and moved to E. 1st St. in Indianola for one year and then to
the northwest corner of S. Jefferson and Highway #92 (E.2nd). From there Emma
and son Ralph moved to 311 W. 2nd to be near Nellie and Frank Lester at 309 W.
2nd.
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Bassett Family Association Database
1874 - 1973 (98 years)