Adlai E Woodward

This woman is Adlai Ella Wood Woodward.  Her husband was Whitney Walter Woodward, 10 years her senior. The couple had 3 children, Helen, Whitney Walter (Bud) and Willis Oliver.  The senior Woodward committed suicide by ingesting bromide mercury.  At least that is what the death certificate states of May 1931, at the height of the depression and the crash of Wall Street.

The couple lived where the Old post office is located in downtown OKC.  My husband, who is the grandson of Adlai (grandma) stated to me on several ocassions that his grandmother was 'as mean as could be'.  They couldn't stand to be around her cause she was so mean.

As our marriage carried on, I determined that grandma Woodward was as mean as could be because her husband committed suicide in May 1931 and she had three small children with the youngest being 9 months old.  In my college education I studied sociology and economics.  Voila'!  She was mean and bitter because her husband left her with the duties of three children and everything else that comes with a family of one parent.

Looking at the death certificate now, I see that there are many dangerous chemicals that a "printer" uses daily to clean, ink the machines etc. I know this because my father was a printer and owner of his own printing company for 45 years in OKC.

So I am more looking at Whitney Walter Woodward having been poisoned by the chemicals from the printing profession than committing suicide with mercury, since it took more than 9 months to die, according to the doctor statement.

Adlai (Addie) Ella Wood-Woodward, I am inspired by the woman who kept going and going for her children, even if she was bitter.  My father-in-law lived until he was 83, his sister Helen lived until she was 87, and their youngest brother Willis Oviver lived until he was around 70 something.  All served the U.S. in the services. 

So Addie was pretty good! 

Wish some of this simple endurance would rub off on the kids of today!

Alfreda Doonkeen-Woodward