Della is the daughter of Henry & Emma Wilks Woodruff. She married John Robert Clark 10 Nov 1901 in Michigan who is buried by her side.
My Grandmother Woodruff was a very religious woman and her family belonged to the Pathway religion who did not believe in a structured church but met at the homes of other believers. Her family did not welcome the marriage of Della to John Clark who was of Irish descent. Della would not marry John until he joined the Pathway religion which strictly forbid alcohol. Della was very strict with her children and would tolerate no disrespect. After moving to Alberta, Canada in 1908 working as cook and John was farm hand in Yellow Grass, Sask. Canada for Bill Lennox (Colfax was six miles north). Built home in Colfax in the winter of 1912.
Della's life was very hard and as her children were old enough she encouraged them to return to Michigan. She was a mid-wife and doctor in the town of Colfax as there was no doctor near-by. The doctor would leave medicine with her including morphine for pain and one time was approached by a man looking for morphine but somehow got rid of him. She delivered many babies, including a set of twins which lived (quite an accomplishment). The twins were placed near the oven, which was heated by firewood, to keep warm.
My mother said she never heard a cross word exchanged by her parents and that they often held hands. I always felt cheated that I did not know my grandmother as she died in 1944 when I was only two years old.
My Grandmother Woodruff was a very religious woman and her family belonged to the Pathway religion who did not believe in a structured church but met at the homes of other believers. Her family did not welcome the marriage of Della to John Clark who was of Irish descent. Della would not marry John until he joined the Pathway religion which strictly forbid alcohol. Della was very strict with her children and would tolerate no disrespect. After moving to Alberta, Canada in 1908 working as cook and John was farm hand in Yellow Grass, Sask. Canada for Bill Lennox (Colfax was six miles north). Built home in Colfax in the winter of 1912.
Della's life was very hard and as her children were old enough she encouraged them to return to Michigan. She was a mid-wife and doctor in the town of Colfax as there was no doctor near-by. The doctor would leave medicine with her including morphine for pain and one time was approached by a man looking for morphine but somehow got rid of him. She delivered many babies, including a set of twins which lived (quite an accomplishment). The twins were placed near the oven, which was heated by firewood, to keep warm.
My mother said she never heard a cross word exchanged by her parents and that they often held hands. I always felt cheated that I did not know my grandmother as she died in 1944 when I was only two years old.
Della is the daughter of Henry & Emma Wilks Woodruff. She married John Robert Clark 10 Nov 1901 in Michigan who is buried by her side.
My Grandmother Woodruff was a very religious woman and her family belonged to the Pathway religion who did not believe in a structured church but met at the homes of other believers. Her family did not welcome the marriage of Della to John Clark who was of Irish descent. Della would not marry John until he joined the Pathway religion which strictly forbid alcohol. Della was very strict with her children and would tolerate no disrespect. After moving to Alberta, Canada in 1908 working as cook and John was farm hand in Yellow Grass, Sask. Canada for Bill Lennox (Colfax was six miles north). Built home in Colfax in the winter of 1912.
Della's life was very hard and as her children were old enough she encouraged them to return to Michigan. She was a mid-wife and doctor in the town of Colfax as there was no doctor near-by. The doctor would leave medicine with her including morphine for pain and one time was approached by a man looking for morphine but somehow got rid of him. She delivered many babies, including a set of twins which lived (quite an accomplishment). The twins were placed near the oven, which was heated by firewood, to keep warm.
My mother said she never heard a cross word exchanged by her parents and that they often held hands. I always felt cheated that I did not know my grandmother as she died in 1944 when I was only two years old.
My Grandmother Woodruff was a very religious woman and her family belonged to the Pathway religion who did not believe in a structured church but met at the homes of other believers. Her family did not welcome the marriage of Della to John Clark who was of Irish descent. Della would not marry John until he joined the Pathway religion which strictly forbid alcohol. Della was very strict with her children and would tolerate no disrespect. After moving to Alberta, Canada in 1908 working as cook and John was farm hand in Yellow Grass, Sask. Canada for Bill Lennox (Colfax was six miles north). Built home in Colfax in the winter of 1912.
Della's life was very hard and as her children were old enough she encouraged them to return to Michigan. She was a mid-wife and doctor in the town of Colfax as there was no doctor near-by. The doctor would leave medicine with her including morphine for pain and one time was approached by a man looking for morphine but somehow got rid of him. She delivered many babies, including a set of twins which lived (quite an accomplishment). The twins were placed near the oven, which was heated by firewood, to keep warm.
My mother said she never heard a cross word exchanged by her parents and that they often held hands. I always felt cheated that I did not know my grandmother as she died in 1944 when I was only two years old.
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