Oscar Wood was a pioneer in the Helotes area. He was born at his parents' home on Galm Road on September 3, 1886. He maintained his residence in the area until the age of 84 when he became a nursing home resident in San Antonio. Family and friends met for many years at his home for an all day Labor Day picnic to help him celebrate his birthday.
Oscar Wood lived to be ninety-seven years of age and he was still roping and branding cattle at the age of 83. He was a farmer, rancher and dairyman. He and his wife, the former Edna Braun, came into San Antonio to sell butter, she had churned herself, and eggs. Oscar and his wife acquired 362 acres of land at the corner of Leslie Road (now Loop 1604) and Shanefield Road where he had his dairy farm. They would get up each morning at 4:00 a.m. and milk cows. When he was a young man, Oscar Wood butchered cattle and had a meat route to sell his beef. He was also employed by the county, helping to resurface gravel roads in the area. He also helped lay the gravel foundation for Scenic Loop Road.
Wood spent several years as a trustee of the Culebra School District, which was consolidated with other small districts, and became the Northside Independent School District. His daughter, Lucille, recalls that he was a trustee when she was ten to thirteen years old (from 1928-1931), but is not sure of the exact number of years he served the school. She says that her father would interview teachers at their house. He built a place for the teacher to live when he built his family a new house. She remembers her father being a trustee when they expanded the one room schoolhouse to two schoolrooms. When this was accomplished they also added another teacher. The two teachers taught grades one through nine. If students after grade nine wanted to attend high school then they had to go into San Antonio.
The school had an active 4H Club and the girls played baseball, volleyball and basketball. Lucille recalls that the Home Demonstration Agent, Mrs. Reynolds, visited the school to teach cooking and sewing about once per week. Students would sell bowls of beans they prepared to fellow students. The County Agricultural Agent also visited the school. Oscar Wood's cousin, Haron B. Smith, taught piano lessons on the school's piano. Mr. Smith and his wife had an orchestra. Lucille remembers studying at night with an oil lamp. The Wood's family, however, were the first ones in the area to get electricity. The Delco system was run by a generator and jar of water. The other neighbors got electricity when the lines were put up.
Mr. Wood was a charter member of the Helotes Hermann Sons Lodge # 76 and a member of Zion Lutheran Church. The Woods, and other deceased members of their family are buried at the Zion Cemetery adjacent to the old church on Leslie Road.
Oscar and Edna Wood were married on Leap Year Day in 1908. They were married for 75 years until his death in 1983. Mr. and Mrs. Wood had three daughters that attended the old Culebra Road School. Winifred, the youngest daughter, who was born four days before the oldest girl turned 22, was in the first graduating class of John Marshall High School, known then as Northside High School. A fourth daughter, Gladys, died from diphtheria in 1916 at the age of 2.
The Wood's eldest daughter, Ruby was born on New Years' Day, 1910, and lives in San Antonio. While she was a student at the Culebra School she won a spelling bee held at Alamo Heights School. Ruby worked for over thirty years at the San Antonio Police Department, where she was the first female police officer and later a clerk in the Records Department. She has two sons, Vernon and Gayle "Bubba" Vollmer, who also reside in San Antonio. Both sons are involved in the Real Estate business. Vernon has six children who are engaged in the real estate, health care and automotive industries. Bubba's son has spent his entire career at Lee High School, where he is a counselor, but has also been a coach, teacher and football star. His brother, Rodney, is a rancher in Moore, Texas and works for City Public Service.
Lucille was born on April 10th, 1918. Lucille is twice widowed and resides in San Antonio, She also has two sons. The oldest one, Kenneth Dugosh, went to work as a teacher at Holmes High School in 1969, and has been a teacher and counselor at Pat Neff Middle School since 1974. Kenneth's son, Cliff Dugosh, has been associated with Northside and John Marshall High School for several years. Kenneth's daughter, Suzanne, is a P.E. teacher at Evers Elementary. Cliff and Suzanne are graduates of Holmes High School. Lucille's other son Chester, is retired and resides in Irving, Texas.
Winifred, born in 1931, was an avid athlete at John Marshall High school but died of cancer in 1991 at the age of 60. She was married to the late LeRoy Hoffman, a banker in San Antonio. The Hoffman's had three children, Russell, Roger, and Rhonda. All three played varsity sports at Lee High School.
Other descendants of Oscar and Edna Wood include fourteen great grandchildren and eleven great-great grandchildren. The eldest great-great grandchild, Lisa Mirelez, graduated from John Marshall High School in 1996.
The site of Dr. Joe Ward Elementary sits on part of
the property on which the Oscar and Edna Wood family made their home.
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