Mary Wood was born in Slaithwaite (Huddersfield) West Yorkshire, England on the 2nd day of November 1844, a daughter of Rebecca Shaw and George Wood, both of Yorkshire ancestry. She was the youngest of four children. Her father was a weaver of fine cloth by trade. He was an expert musician for a long time, a band leader. He came to the United States in 1844. He liked the country very much and was drowned in the Delaware River while returning home for his family. It was just nine weeks before his daughter, Mary, was born. Her mother, Rebecca Shaw Wood, remained in England several years, working at her husband's trade and saving to bring her family to Utah. They had a very hard trip on the ocean. In those days the boats were very slow and dangerous. On reaching America, they were very anxious to continue their journey to Utah. In traveling across the plains, on foot mostly, she at times grew very tired. Mary would plead with her mother to leave her on the desert. She was, at this time, about 11 years of age. On 26 May 1861, Mary Wood was married to Sylvester Wilson (Wellsville, Cache Co., Utah). He was a native of Illinois. He was a Bishop in the LDS Church and was prominent in its councils. They settled in Jackson, Wyoming. Mary Wood Wilson was left a widow at the meridian of life with her faculties in full vigor & her self reliance sufficient for every emergency. Mary spent the last years of her life in Rexburg, Idaho where she died June 18, 1913. She was buried next to her husband, Sylvester, in the South Park cemetery in Jackson, Wyoming. - Some of the History of Mary Wood Wilson written by her daughter, Melvina Wilson Robertson.

Her tombstone has the following inscribed:
MARY
WILSON
DIED
JUNE 18, 1913
AGE 68 YEARS
GONE BUT NOT
FORGOTTEN