Item Detail
-
Wood, Stella Permelia Sudweeks
-
1890-
-
MSS SC 1018
-
1 fd. containing four installments of the autobiography. Also included are laminated photocopies and original documents of Stella's family dating back to the early 1800s.
-
Stella Permelia Sudweeks Wood was born on May 27, 1890, in Junction, Utah to a staunch L.D.S. family. In 1905, the family moved to Twin Falls, Idaho where Stella 's father bought land to farm. Stella describes the atmosphere of Twin Falls as being a strong anti-Mormon sentiment. Her encounters with those not of her faith continually increased her desires to serve a mission. In 1912, Stella was called to the Central States Mission. She spent most her time in St. Joseph and St. Louis, Missouri. Stella rode in the same train leaving Utah as another missionary named Roy Wood who had been called to the Southern States Mission. After both were honorably released, they were married on April 8, 1915 in Salt Lake City, Utah. In 1925, they moved back to Twin Falls, Idaho where Roy became Bishop of the Twin Falls Ward during the Great Depression. In 1945, Stella and Roy were called to serve a mission to Great Britain. Because of the post-war problems in England, they performed more service activities than proselyting. In 1969, both Stella and Roy were set apart to work in the Idaho Falls Temple; Roy was called as First Counselor to the Temple President. Stella and Roy had seven children.
-
Stella Permelia Sudweeks Wood wrote her autobiography as a Christmas present for her children and grandchildren. The autobiography was written in four installments, each one a continuation of the previous. The first contains the record of Stella's early life until the end of her mission to the central states (including her first acquaintance with Roy Wood). The second installment begins with her marriage to Roy and their experiences in coping with the Great Depression in the farm country of Idaho. The third section starts with an extensive genealogical synopsis of Stella's family, the Sudweeks, and the rest of the section is devoted to Stella's Faith Promoting Experiences, where she provides insight to her moral character and value system. The fourth installment deals primarily with a 'wrap-up' history of her life including the successes of her children and husband. She supplies a quick introduction to the laminated original and photocopied letters found in the folder. Stella is meticulous in her facts and detail. She gives extensive description of England in late 1940's in relationship to the L.D.S. Church. Sister missionaries
-
-