Rhoda Ann WOOLDRIDGE

Rhoda Ann Wooldridge, daughter of Greenberry and Mathilda Wooldridge, was born January 11th, 1849 in Fredericksburg, Pa.

In 1852 she was brought to Iowa by her parents when the family came here as pioneer settlers. The home was made in Clayton County seven miles northeast of Edgewood and in that rural community she attended school til she completed the eight grades. Except for one year spent in Nebraska, all her life from 1852 to the time of her death was spent in Iowa, on the farm near Asbury, at Elkport and for over twenty years in Edgewood.

In 1869 she was married to G. W. Shaw, to which this union one son was born, William Shaw, who resides in Edgewood.

A few years later she married Chelsea Coolidge and became mother of another son, Herbert Coolidge, whose home is in Prairie du Chien, Wis.

Then on Dec.11th, 1880, she entered a third marital relationship, this time with Daniel Galer. To this union four children were born, one of these, a daughter, Mrs. Nancy Behling, who preceded her mother in death. Mrs. Behling passed away at La Crosse, Wis. in 1908. The other three children are Michael Galer(1887-1963) of Edgewood, James Galer of Oelwein and Mrs. Elizabeth Harshaw of Oshkosh, Wis. Daniel Galer, her husband, passed away on July 23rd, 1914.

Death came quietly at 1:20 o'clock Thursday morning, July 2, following a brief illness, although she had been in failing health for several years.

Surviving besides these five children to mourn the death of Mrs. Galer are fifteen grandchildren, twenty-four great grandchildren and one great great granddaughter, also one brother, James Wooldridge of near Mason City, Iowa.

Mrs. Galer was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church and became a member of the Edgewood Methodist Church in 1918. She lived to win the distinction of being Edgewood's oldest resident, being almost six months past her 93rd birthday when she died. During those 93 years she had known all the rigors and hardships of pioneer life in a new country and had been able to say that she could knit, help make cloth for the family's clothing, make maple sugar and sorghum as well as help make a home out of the wilderness.

Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at 2:30 in the Methodist Church in charge of the pastor, the Rev. Thos. H. Smith. Music for the service was by Mrs. Arthur Welterlen, D. E. Rhines and C. J. Rulon with Mrs. June Miller at the organ. Casket attendants were Sam Smith, Allen Hansel, Geo. Pilgrim, L. D. Zahrndt, O. H. Berens and Stanley Elliot. Burial was made in the Asbury cemetery.

Relatives from away who came to attend the funeral services for Mrs. Rhoda Galer were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Parsons of Cedar Falls, Mr. and Mrs. James Wooldridge, their daughter, her husband and family of near Mason City, Mr. and Mrs. James Galer, Betty and Ralph of Oelwein, Herbert Coolidge and daughter, Mrs. Vera Johnson and Mr. and Mrs. Bud Coolidge of Prairie du Chien, Wis., Mrs. Elizabeth Harshaw of Oshkosh, Wis., Charles Galer of Dubuque, Mrs. Chas. Lang, Mrs. Michael Galer and three children of Mederville, Mr. and Mrs. Anson Randall of Aurora, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Galer of Lancasterm Wis., Mrs. Clara Lang of Elkader, Mr. and Mrs. Ray Shaw and children of Sherrill's Mound.