My Life Story

By Nelson Wood

The book is mostly a biography. It is written in three sections; my early years; my education and working years; World War II and memories. I also added two addendums which brings me up to my retirement and present life in an assister living facility in Florida.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 16, 2015
• ISBN: 9781514413593

Nelson Wood

I grew up in a small town in North Georgia and spent most of my early years there. I graduated from Nelson High School, received AB Degree from Piedmont College and MEd from Auburn University. Married to Dorothy Sanders Taught high school and coached football for ten years. Principal of a junior high school for another ten years. Served in World War II for three years in Pacific. Worked as processional fund raiser for fifteen years. Am now retired.

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Copyright © 2015 by Nelson Wood.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2015916284

ISBN:   Hardcover   978-1-5144-1361-6

Softcover   978-1-5144-1360-9

eBook   978-1-5144-1359-3

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Rev. date: 10/14/2015

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CONTENTS

My Life Story

World War II

Biography

Synopsis

MY LIFE STORY

January 1925–December 1985

As far as I can remember, I never saw or met any of my great-grandparents. I only know of them from what I have read or what was told to me by my parents or grandparents. My father was a carpenter. He was a hard worker, and with my mother’s help, he always provided for his family. Even though he made little money, especially during the Depression years, there was always food on the table and even an occasional pie or cake. I learned a lot from my father, especially about carpentry and woodworking. He hoped I would never take this up as my life’s work. I didn’t, but I always enjoyed working in my workshop and building things for our home.

The other member of the family was my brother Knox. He was six years younger than me. He was diabetic and died in 1993. I know only a little bit about my grandfather Wood and his ancestry. I only remember him as a kind and religious gentleman. He was a skilled carpenter and cabinet maker and a good provider for his family of nine children. My father was next to the oldest child. I was told that his father was James Madison Wood, whom I know nothing about. Granddad Wood died when I was twelve years old.

My grandmother Wood grew up in a gold-mining country around Dahlonega, Georgia. I remember visiting some of her relatives when I was very young. Some of Grandmother’s brothers were still mining gold. Grandmother’s maiden name was Jenkins. Her father must have been a cruel old man. I was told that he married a Cherokee Indian maiden named Owl, whom he must have treated like a slave. According to an old newspaper article that I found, he came home one day and found that she had hanged herself.

On my mother’s side of the family, I found a great deal more information. My mother, Jesse Irene Hope Nelson Wood, was a beautiful and brilliant lady. Although not highly educated, she was very economical and thrifty. Even though my father made little money as a carpenter, she was able to provide for her family well. In today’s world, I think she could have been a business executive.

On my mother’s side of the family, I found a great deal more about her ancestry. Granddad Nelson had also been a gold miner. Gold had been discovered along the Etowah River near Ball Ground, Georgia. He apparently made enough money mining gold to buy a large farm between Ball Ground and Free Home, Georgia. It was on this farm that my mother was born, and in 1925, I also was born. I spent many happy days on this farm. It was where I learned how to fish, hunt, and even plow with a mule. It was a sad day when I learned that they had sold the farm.

My great-grandfather was Chesterfield Nelson, whom I never met. His wife was Stephonia Green. Other than that, I know little about him. I remember seeing a large picture of him hanging on the wall of the old farmhouse. His father, John Danial Nelson (my great-great-grandfather), I found a great deal to write about. He must have been quite a character. I suppose you can call him the godfather of the Nelson family. The information that I have gathered comes from court records and from two books, The History of Gilmer County and The Annals of Upper Georgia. In the latter, there is a picture of him and his first wife, Comfort C. Jones. They had fourteen children. His second wife was Carolina Copeland. They had one child. And finally, there was his third marriage to Mary Alveria Carter. This marriage produced five more children.

Stories about John Danial don’t always agree. Each story has a different version of his life history. Some of these stories I believe, and some I would like to believe. Of the articles that I have read, they all agree on some things. These I can believe. One story that I would like to believe says that John Danial’s grandfather was Thomas Nelson, who signed the Declaration of Independence. Thomas Nelson’s grandfather came to America from Strabane County, Tyrone, Ireland. He fought in the American Revolution. Harold Vernon Nelson said that this was told to him by his grandmother. All stories agree on certain things. All state that he was a blacksmith and a gunsmith who settled in Pickens County, Georgia, and the town of Nelson was named after him.

Ironically, I graduated from high school in Nelson, and once while hunting, I came upon the ruins of a log cabin. I was told that this was John Danial’s home. The house was completely destroyed in 1955 when a highway was built to bypass the town of Nelson. This cabin had the first running water in the Southeast. With his auger, which he used to bore out rifle barrels, he bored out the center of saplings and fastened them together to make a pipe, which brought water from a hillside spring to his log cabin. One of the articles that I read said that he sold his property to the Georgia Marble Company for $1,900. He died at his daughter’s house in Dalton, Georgia. He intended