Wilbur S. Wood

October 27. 2014 Mr. Wilbur S. Wood, age 91, of Palestine, died Sunday at his home in Palestine after a short illness. He was born January 25, 1923, in Palestine and was the son of Joe Wood and Minnie Beard Wood. Except for three and a half years of service in the U. S. Navy during World War II and several years in Washington, D.C. When he served as the President of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, he has been a life long resident of the Palestine community. Mr. Wood attended Palestine schools and graduated in 1941. After graduation from Palestine High School, he joined the U. S. Navy and served in the Pacific theatre. Upon returning from duty in the Navy, he and his brother owned and operated a general merchandise store in Palestine, and a shoe store and shoe repair business in Forrest City. Mr. Wood was a fourth generation member of the Palestine Cumberland Presbyterian Church. His great-grandfather, grandfather, father and he all served as Elders of the church. He became an Elder in 1946 and served many years as the song leader for the church. In addition, he served as Moderator of Little Rock-Burrow Presbytery, Moderator of Bartholomew Presbytery, Moderator of Arkansas Synod, and in 1987, he was elected as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian denomination- the highest office in the church. After his tenure as Moderator, he served for several years on the General Assembly Executive Committee. He served on the national Board of Missions of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church for fifteen years. The last two years he was the president of the board. During this tenure on the board, the denomination built and operated numerous churches in Colombia, SA, Japan, and Hong Kong, as well as oversaw the construction of fifteen new church developments in the United States. He was recognized and honored by the Board of Missions as a Patron of Missions. During his eighteen and a half years of service with the local board of education, the Palestine educational facility grew from a four building, unrated school, to an 'A' classification with the Arkansas State Department of Education. Mr. Wood enjoyed many years of active and fruitful service in the civic and athletic affairs of his community. He was a charter member of the Lions Club in Palestine. He was the founder of the local Little League and Pony League baseball programs. Through his efforts a modern baseball facility at the local high school was completed. Today that facility continues to serve both the school and community. Mr. Wood officiated at both high school basketball and football games for over thirty-one years. He was selected to referee many state basketball tournaments, All-Star games and State football play-offs. He refereed twenty consecutive state basketball tournaments, and officiated at the state football play-offs from their inception until 1977 when he moved to Washington, D.C. For Many years, the Arkansas Athletic Association rated Wood as one of the top officials in the state. In 1950, he became a substitute rural mail carrier, and in 1957, was appointed a regular carrier, serving Palestine on Route 1. In 1977, he was elected to the National Labor Relation Board (RLC) in Washington, D.C., and in 1981, he was elected President of the National Rural Letter Carriers Association, a position he held until his retirement. In Washington, D.C., Mr. Wood was a friend and fellow worker with numerous senators and members of the House of Representatives. Former West Tennessee congressman, Ed Jones, once remarked that “Wilbur Wood was one of the finest men he had ever met, and a man who has served with dignity and distinction in Washington.” Because of his “roots” in a rural area of the nation, several members of Congress, Senators, and at least one U.S. President, would seek him out to ask for his advise. Congressman Jones said Wilbur Wood knew the rural areas of the nation better than anyone he knew. Upon retirement and moving from Washington back to Palestine, he continued to travel for and address State Conventions of the Rural Letter Carriers Association. Mr. Wood received the President's National Special Service Award for his service at the 2005 National convention and was recognized at the Convention in 2007 for fifty years of membership in the National Rural Letter Carriers Association. He was an honorary member of seventeen different state Letter Carrier Associations. In addition, he served at the Field Representative for the Atlanta Postal Credit Union for twenty-seven years. Upon his retirement from the APCU, the chairman of Board of Directors said, “Wilbur Wood is a great human being and made many significant contributions to the credit union. He has served us well and brought hundreds, maybe even thousands, of new members into the credit union during his tenure as field representative.” Mr. Wood married Jorene Rounsavall and she preceded him in death in 2005. He married Mary Dell Ford Parker in 2006, and she survives him along with two sons; Scott Wood, and wife, Linda of Spokane, Washington, and Jerry Wood, and wife, Laurie, of Fort Smith, Arkansas, one daughter, Cindy Wood Fortenberry, of Palestine, four step-children, five grandchildren, eleven great-grandchildren, and four great-great grandchildren. He had one son-in-law, Mike Fortenberry of Palestine, one great-grandson, Willie of Spokane, Washington, who preceded him in death. Services for Mr. Wood will be held at the Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Palestine, 11:00 A.M., Wednesday, with burial in Bell Cemetery. Visitation will be Tuesday evening, 6:00 till 8:00 P.M., at Stevens Funeral Home with Stevens Funeral Home in charge of arrangements. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society, P.O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 72123-1718. You may log on to stevensfuneralhome.net for the on line registry.

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Wilbur S. Wood

January 25, 1923 - October 26, 2014