Woodrow Martin Wilson |
| Posted 2009-08-22 by Sharon |
| The Wickenburg Sun, Wickenburg, AZ March 1, 2006, p. B7 Woodrow Martin Wilson entered into rest on Monday, Feb. 6 at the Life Care Center in Bountiful, Utah. “Woody” was born in Rock Springs, Wyo., on Oct. 12, 1917. He is survived by his brother Algot Wilson of Green River, son Ronald (Cynde) Wilson of Pinedale, daughters Wendy (Ed) Ricke of Wickenburg, Ariz., and Jeannie Clark of Las Vegas, step daughters Helen (Dick) Evans of Big Piney and Mildred Delgado of Lake Havasu, Ariz., and three grandchildren, numerous step grandchildren, great and great-great step grandchildren. Woody was born in Rock Springs, Wyo., the first born child of Axel Martin and Agathe Berentine (Helgesen) Wilson, immigrants from Norway and Sweden. He joined two older maternal half brothers, Harold and Harry Helgesen and was later joined by three sisters and two brothers. He attended school through the seventh grade in the one room school on the family ranch on the Ham's Fork south of Granger, Wyo. After the eighth grade in Granger, Woody quit school and sold tires to build a car from parts to allow his siblings to continue their schooling. Out on his own shortly thereafter he made a living trapping muskrat and coyotes and laying rails for Union Pacific. With a natural mechanical ability and fascination for radio he built a crystal set using car batteries charged by gas engines bolted to a generator. The first radio transmission his brother remembers was the Lindbergh baby kidnapping - Woody was 15. Woody's mechanical abilities led to jobs at Little America, the oil pumping station near Granger and Kemp Ford in Green River. Kemp Ford moved to Pinedale and Woody moved the family north with them. World War II saw passenger car production halted and Woody went to work for Mike Murphy, the first John Deere dealership in Pinedale (the building still stands across from the court house.) He was deferred from the armed services, as his talents were needed in Sublette County to maintain ranch equipment. Woody acquired the Log Cabin Motel in a high stakes poker game which he and Helen operated for about three years. In 1946 he married Ruth Hecox Logan and Ron and Wendy were born. Ron and Wendy joined maternal half sisters, Mildred, Helen and Myrtle Logan. Working for Anderson-Penton Trucking Woody was awarded “Driver of the Year” when he jumped into a burning propane truck and drove it out of Pinedale city limits. Ron and Wendy have fond memories of family vacations to points of interest across the Western US. A favorite for Woody was fishing the Oregon coast. He retired from Belco Petroleum in Big Piney widely known for his ability repairing Waukesha pumping engines for which he was sent nationwide. He and Ruth built a retirement home on what had been part of Ruth's family ranch in the Kendall Valley and a winter home near Wickenburg Ariz. He later married Ruth Houck and joked about his new address on “Easy Street” and his new hobby -golf. In addition to ham radio, his lifelong hobbies included hunting, fishing, rifle and trap shooting and reloading. Woody was preceded in death by his parents, brother Daniel Wilson of Rawlins, sisters Josephine (Art) Eccle of Bountiful, Utah; Wanda (Dreesen) Wilson and Esther (Dave) Cook of Lusk, Wyo.; and wife Ruth (Hecox) Wilson and step daughter Myrtle (Dale) Jensen. Graveside services are planned for June. Memorials may be made to Kicking Cancer. |
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