Item Detail
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Wood, Kathleen Blanche Bird
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1852-1933
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MSS 8
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Biography
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Kathleen Blanche Bird Wood was born July 4, 1852 in Wretham, Norfolk, England to James and Harriet Goble Bird. Her parents were converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints a few years before the birth of their third child, and it became their greatest desire to join the saints. Their oldest son traveled ahead of them to find work in order to finance the trip, and they finally left London on June 3, 1864. They arrived in New York in August and from there, traveled to St. Joseph, Missouri. They trekked west and after arriving in Wyoming, found teams and wagons sent by Brigham Young to take them to Salt Lake. They arrived there on November 2, 1864 and made their home in Nephi. In 1865, the Black Hawk Indian War broke out, and it was two years before peace was declared. Blanche later married Jonathan Wood, with whom she had twelve children. Blanche was active in the Relief Society and acted as secretary for several years. She died at age 81 on October 4, 1933 after suffering a stroke.
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This is a three-page typescript biography written by Kathleen's granddaughter, Afton G. Wood, and it is found in the sixth folder of the Margaret Steed Hess collection. There are not many personal details concerning Kathleen included in this manuscript, though she is described as having been a good wife and mother. She lived a life of service and sacrifice, and even in her declining years, her house remained immaculate. Trek