Loren Alfred Wood

When Loren A. Wood completed his U.S. World War I Draft Registration Card June 5, 1917, he was described as being of medium height with a stout build, light brown eyes and dark brown hair. He registered at the Pitman Precinct in Montgomery County, Illinois, and at the time was living and working in Waggoner, Illinois, and he was doing farming. He was 24 years old, having been born January 4, 1893, and was single.

According to Find A Grave.com, "Lorin Alfred Wood was the son of Alfred B. and Clara Wood of Barnett, Illinois. He served in World War I as a Seaman 1st Class." From a book, "An Honor Roll: Containing a pictorial record of Montgomery County, Illinois." A photo of him was included along with a note that his body was lost or destroyed during the war. Under the Media Tab above is that photo. The one shown above seems to have been taken of him when he was older, so it is not possible that he died at sea during World War I.

A 1920 census record showed Lorin A. Wood, 27, and his wife, Janet W., 25, were living in Irving, Montgomery County, Illinois. He was working as a high school teacher and they were renting their home. Sadly, Lorin's wife, Janet Greig Winston Wood, died later that year on October 12, 1920, in Springfield, Sangamon County, Illinois, and was buried in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Springfield.

Four years later on August 12, 1924, Lorin married Lela Robinson Goble in Washington D.C., and in the 1930 census they were living at 1349 Essex Road in Winter Park, Orange County, Florida, and were listed as follows: Loren, 40 and Lela, 46, and they owned their home which was valued $12,000. They had a radio in their home, and Loren was working as a Realtor in the real estate industry but Lela was not working. Since Lela indicated she was first married at the age of 23, she was obviously married before her marriage to Loren. She was born in New York as was her mother and her father was born in Pennsylvania.

Their home at 1349 Essex Road in Winter Park, Florida, near Orlando, was built in 1926, and that same home was sold in December of 2015 for nearly $785,000. Quite a large appreciation from a value of $12,000 in 1930. In a 1928 U.S. City Directory Listing, Loren and Lela were still living at their home at 1346 Essex Road. A 1929 directory showed that Loren was in real estate and was the manager of the Hamilton Hotel in Orlando, and he was living there as well with Lela. In a 1932 listing, they were living at 707 Harvey Avenue, Daytona Beach, Florida, and in 1935 they were living at 614 Ridgewood Avenue in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Lorin passed just away 4 years later on January 29, 1939, at the Veterans Hospital in Saint Petersburg, Pinellas County, Florida. He was buried with his first wife Janet in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Illinois. His Find A Grave.com memorial page reads as follows:

Lorin A. Wood died at the Veterans hospital in St. Petersburg, Florida, at the age of 46 years old. He was survived by a wife, Lela Wood, father, A.B. Wood, sisters Mrs. Ruth Frazell, Mrs. Mamie Lee Wagner, and Mrs. Dorothy (Wood) Harbert, and two aunts. The funeral was in the Oak Ridge Cemetery in Illinois.

SOURCE: State Journal, Springfield, Illinois, January 31, 1939.

Evidently Lorin never had any children with either of his two wives.