George Wood, Sr.

Lifelong Dallas County resident and cotton farmer George Wood, Sr passed away on August 23, 2020. Known by many as “Mr. George”, “Grandaddy”,  or even “ Grouch.” He always had a quick wit, loved fatback for breakfast, was sometimes grouchy, and always said what he thought. He was loving, but tough and always fair. He was preceded in death by his wife, Sis Wood, of almost 49 years, and just about everybody he knew as he lived to be 97 years old.

George Lockett Wood was born on April 6, 1923 on a farm in Polk, AL and attended school at Tyler Elementary and later graduated from Carlowville High School in 1942. He fondly remembered walking barefoot from the school in Tyler to the dedication of the memorial to Hernando DeSoto along Hwy 80. ( Near the intersection of Dallas Co 7 and Hwy 80) After school, he went to Detroit as a machinist apprentice until Uncle Sam called him into service in World War II. When asked what branch of service he wanted to be in, he said “ Navy.” They promptly put him in the Army where he served in the 196th field artillery.

He reported to Fort McPerson and after assignments at Fort Bragg, GA and Camp Kilmer NJ he was shipped to Shifnal England. He was transported across the English Channel to Utah Beach in Normandy France on D-Day +32. He fought in St Lo and assisted in the liberation of Paris. His next service was in the Battle of The Bulge and ended his duty in Bavaria on April 30, 1945.

After his service, he moved back to Tyler, AL to farm and met his bride at Selma Pride Coffee Company in Selma, AL when he asked her to teach him how to dance. George Wood married Mary Ella “Sis” Eanes on September 4, 1949. They had six children and farmed for more than 50 years. They were active members of the Benton Methodist Church community for many years. He is survived by his son, George (Louise) Wood; daughter, Lene Howell; son, Mike Wood; daughter, Sharon (Bruce) Hughes; daughter, Ann (Jim) Neely and son, Tim (Susan) Wood; nephew, Fred Eanes; 13 grandchildren; 21 great-grandchildren, and many nieces and nephews.

George was one of the nine children of Frank and Alberta Wood and he lived in Tyler near the last surviving spouse (Lula Wood) of his late brother Thad Wood. He was one of the founding members of John T. Morgan Academy and worked tirelessly as well as selflessly to get the school started.

His grandson may have put it best when he said, “My granddad left everything on the field!”

Pallbearers will be grandchildren and sons-in-law.

Many thanks to the kind folks at Cedar Hill who took excellent care of him since October of 2012!

In lieu of flowers, donations and memorials can be made to Benton Methodist Church, Benton Baptist Church, Good Hope Presbyterian Church, or John T. Morgan Academy PTA.

The funeral service will be live streamed on Lawrence Brown-Service Funeral Home’s Facebook page, online at http://watchlawrence.live on Thursday, August 27, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. with Rev. Lee Tate officiating. In person attendance will be limited to family only.

After the service, the family will be receiving friends that would like to pay their respects at the home of George Wood, Sr. The address is 328 County Road 447 in Tyler, Al.