On This Day - January 21, 1951

My grandaunt Velma Davis’s husband Arthur "Woody" Woodring died 21 January 1951. My mother always considered Woody and Velma to be “the fun ones.” 

My favorite Woody stories:

Sports Center Saturday - Woody Woodring

Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjack

A Flea in the Bed

Wendy

© 2021, Wendy Mathias. All rights reserved.

Sepia Saturday: A Flea in the Bed

Sepia Saturday challenges bloggers to share family history through old photographs.

This week’s Sepia Saturday photo of a baseball player is the perfect prompt for a story about my granduncle Woody Woodring. Unfortunately for me, I already wrote that story. However, when I told Woody’s story in 2012, I thought his last season as a professional baseball player was in 1929. I have since discovered that is not so. While his career lasted only another 5 years, he did enough to earn him his very own baseball card.

 

Arthur "Woody" Woodring
1925 Portland Beavers

Reading “Portland” on the card confused me at first because my research had revealed only his time with the Martinsburg Blue Sox, part of the Blue Ridge League, and with the team representing the Shops of the Norfolk & Western Railroad. A clip in the Portland Oregonian dated January 1925 revealed there was much more to Woody’s story, attesting to his strength as a catcher.

 

from the Portland Oregonian January 1925

A month later, the story was quite different. The sports reporter for the Portland Oregonian praised Woody for his arm. In his last year with the Blue Sox, Woody’s fielding percentage was .994 in 72 games, the best fielding record ever by a catcher in the Blue Ridge league. He was credited with 46 assists in 359 chances and was charged with only 2 errors. Impressive.

from Portland Oregonian, Feb 15, 1925

But then the reporter went on to caution, “There’s always a flea in the bed somewhere.” 

That “flea” was Woody’s batting average. He predicted Woody would never be the starting catcher, no matter how good he was at it, if he couldn’t hit, run, score.

Woody played in the minor leagues about the time many of the teams started aligning with the big boys. The Portland Beavers were part of the Philadelphia Athletics organization. Despite boasting a roster of players who later achieved Hall of Fame status, the Beavers repeatedly finished in the bottom half of the league. How long Woody remained with the team is not known. However, a news article from 1930 indicates that at some point he had returned home to Martinsburg, West Virginia and was back with the Blue Sox.

 

from Morning Herald Hagerstown, MD Apr 11, 1930

For some reason he was released but quickly grabbed up by the Cumberland Colts in Maryland. After that, there is another gap in Woody’s career. As before, he made his way back to Martinsburg. In 1934, a news article reported he decided to resign as manager of the Blue Sox because the time commitment interfered with his business interests.

from Evening Sun Hanover, PA May 31, 1934

Those “business interests” were not likely any fancy investments or wheeling and dealing. On the contrary, it is more likely he needed a “real job” that paid better than minor league baseball. In 1932, he was a driver for Standard Oil. 

Then at least before 1939 he became a salesman for Corkran Hill & Company, a distributor of meat, cheese, and margarine. What a bonus to get a company car! 

Woody's car
Corkran Hill & Co.

That was his career until the day he died at the ripe ol’ age of 47 (!) in January 1951.

Woody and my grandaunt Velma 1949

Don’t get caught looking. Run the bases to Sepia Saturday.

Wendy

© 2017, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Genealogy Photo a Day 12: Occupation

Genealogy Photo a Day is a month-long challenge coordinated by Genealogy Girl Talks.

I never knew my granduncle Arthur Henry “Woody” Woodring, but my mother always said he and Velma were the fun aunt and uncle. It is easy to see why since in every photo, he has a big smile.

Except in this one. It’s his Game Face.

 

Woody Woodring, catcher
Summer 1926
playing for the Shenandoah shops

Woody was a professional baseball player for a time. He worked on the electrical force of the Norfolk & Western Railroad in Shenandoah, Virginia. In the 1920s N&W sponsored a number of sports teams including basketball and baseball teams that competed against teams from other towns along the N&W line.

Woody was playing on the shops team even while he began his professional baseball career as a catcher in 1924 for the Martinsburg Blue Sox, evidently playing both at the same time. The Blue Sox were part of the Blue Ridge League comprised of six level D (Rookie) teams from Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland.

In those days, the team with the best record for the season became the league champions.  It was Woody’s first year on the team but the Martinsburg Blue Sox’s third straight championship title. The play-off system didn’t start until 1928, the same year that some major league teams started affiliating with the minor teams.  Woody’s team was affiliated with what was then the Philadelphia Athletics.  Other teams were affiliated with the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, St. Louis Cardinals, and Washington Senators.

When I told Woody’s story in 2012, it appeared his last season was in 1929. However, I have since discovered that is not so. Apparently the Blue Ridge League continued. In 1930, Woody was released from the Blue Sox and picked up by the Cumberland (Maryland) Colts, an affiliate of the New York Yankees. At some point he returned to the Blue Sox as manager as well as a playing member. A news article dated May 31, 1934 reported he resigned as manager because it interfered with his business interests – whatever they were.

Look for me on Instagram (@Wendymath27) and Twitter (@Wendymath).

Wendy

© 2016, Wendy Mathias.  All rights reserved.

Sports Center Saturday: Velma Davis Woodring

Sports Center Saturday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks us to discuss our ancestor’s love of sports.

This story has been corrected HERE. 

I have mentioned before that my mother always considered her Aunt Velma and Uncle Woody to be “the fun ones” in the family.  Looking through Velma’s scrapbook, I can see why she thought so.  Pictures of Velma’s college friends reveal a bunch of fun-loving young women who enjoyed making funny faces and striking dramatic poses for the camera. 

The caption reads
"Dignified???"

Velma was also on the basketball team at Harrisonburg Teachers College, now James Madison University, located in Harrisonburg, Virginia.  Velma is the third girl kneeling on the front row.

The picture is in terrible condition, but at least the important parts survived thanks to Velma’s heavy hand with the glue back in the early 1920s. 

Since I only knew Velma when she was in her 50s-60s, I was unaware of her athletic past until I inherited her scrapbook.  As a result, I was at a loss for a story to tell when planning this blog post until I remembered that I also have Velma’s 1926 college yearbook, called "The Schoolma’am." Maybe I could find a story there. 

I looked at the class sections and found Velma with the sophomores. Beside the students’ pictures was a list of their activities along with a character quote.  Velma was a member of the Athletic Association and the YWCA.  Her quote:  “A jolly good sport in rain and sun.” 

At the back of the yearbook is the last issue of The Breeze, the campus newspaper, which summarized highlights of the year.  The classes were pitted against one another in a basketball tournament.  On Oct 24, 1925, the Freshmen beat the Juniors 43-13 (ouch!).  A week later, the Sophomores beat the Seniors 40-12 (double ouch!).  On November 14, 1925, Velma’s class, the Sophomores, won the championship defeating the Freshmen 21-18, definitely a more exciting game. 

But what’s up with these low scores?  Were the rules different?  Were girls just not very competent at dribbling and shooting?  The Breeze gave a recap of the basketball games that year.  While Velma’s team won many of the games, the scores were still low:

·         Jan 8, 1926 – HTC vs Bridgewater 36-26 (win)

·         Jan 16, 1926 – HTC vs Bridgewater 30-12 (win)  This game was described as the “fastest, peppiest game” of the season.  Whew!  Somebody, hand me a towel.

·         Jan 30, 1926 – HTC vs Roanoke YWCA 37-9 (win)

·         Feb 6, 1926 – HTC vs Fredericksburg (now University of Mary Washington) 41-18 (win)

·         Feb 13, 1926 – HTC vs Radford 34-16 (loss)

·         Feb 19, 1926 – HTC vs Radford 24-23 (loss) Two of the “Purple and Gold basketeers” (love these sportin’ terms) “ran up the score in the last quarter with ten free shots.”  Now that’s a lot of violations, Ladies!

·         Feb 25, 1926 – HTC vs Farmville (now Longwood University) 15-9 (loss)

·         Feb 27, 1926 – HTC vs William & Mary 28-23 (loss)

·         Mar 5, 1926 – HTC vs Farmville 26-21 (win)

·         Mar 13, 1926 – HTC vs Fredericksburg 34-19 (loss)

Maybe the scores were inevitably low because of the rules.  If the colleges were still playing by the modified rules developed for women at Smith College in the 1890s, then the court was divided into three sections. In the early years, there were nine players per team with three assigned to each area (guard, center, forward).  They could not play outside their area. Instead, they passed or dribbled the ball from section to section. Players were limited to three dribbles and could hold the ball for only three seconds.  But I can tell from the college newspaper that the 9-player rule was no longer in effect since several articles refer to the players as the “Blue-Stone sextet.”

Or maybe the low scores were due to those darn uniforms.  Surely Velma and her "basketeer" buddies couldn’t get much air time in those skirts. 

Velma captioned this one:
"B.B. Stars"

 

Funeral Card Friday: Velma Hilda Davis Woodring

Funeral Card Friday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks us to post images of memorial cards and stories about the person memorialized.

My great-aunt Velma Hilda Davis Woodring was my maternal grandfather’s youngest sister.  She was born in Shenandoah, Virginia, in 1908 and died of liver cancer in 1968 in Harrisonburg, Virginia. 
 
Her funeral card is very plain.  In fact, it seems rather homemade.  Here is the cover:

Inside the service is printed on a single piece of paper and attached to the cover with a single staple in the fold.

The 2 ministers who conducted the service are members of the family.  Forrest Racy was married to Velma’s cousin, Leota Sullivan.  Arthur Maiden was married to Velma’s and Leota’s cousin Minnie Coleman.  It must have been an especially emotional service for Arthur since he had married Velma and Woody in 1927 (read about that HERE).

 

The active pallbearers are a real mystery to me, but my cousin recognized some of the names.  James F. Logan, Jr. was a teacher at Waterman Elementary when Velma taught there, and  he was very loyal to her. James O'Donnell was the principal at Waterman and later was promoted to an admininstrator with the Harrisonburg school system.  Joseph Hiner was probably a teacher, but my cousin is not sure.  E.S. Ashby was an educator and a good friend of both Violetta and Velma. Joseph Ziler was a dear friend from Martinsburg. He, his wife, and daughter Mary Jo visited with Velma quite often. My cousin thinks Joe was the principal at the school where Velma taught in Martinsburg, West Virginia.

Wedding Wednesday and Treasure Chest Thursday: Velma Davis and Woody Woodring

Wedding Wednesday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that invites us to share wedding photos and announcements of our ancestors’ weddings.  Treasure Chest Thursday is a prompt focusing on family heirlooms. 

Velma Hilda Davis (1908-1968) and Arthur Henry Woodring (1904-1951)

Velma and Woody (you can read more about him HERE) married January 15, 1927, in the parlor of the home built by her father, my great grandfather, Walter B. Davis.  This house is still in the family, so it’s fun to compare how the house looks then and now.
 

Their wedding book was probably a gift from the minister, Arthur Maiden.  Arthur was married to Velma’s cousin, Minnie Coleman.

When I spied this photo of wedding gifts in Velma’s scrapbook, my jaw dropped.  Look carefully at the pitcher in front of the picture on the sideboard, and the tea set on the table. Click on the photo to enlarge it.

Now look at the next 2.  Look familiar?

These are among the treasures that have been passed down to me.  The purple pitcher (probably a chocolate pot, judging by the shape) is made of glass.  The original picture makes me think there should be glasses to go with it, but I don’t have them.  The tea set is lusterware from Japan. The photo here makes the blue look much more intense than it really is.  Lusterware was the latest trend in wedding gifts at that time, somewhat like a precursor of fondu sets and rice cookers, I guess. 

Sports Center Saturday: Woody Woodring

Sports Center Saturday is a daily prompt at Geneabloggers that asks us to discuss our ancestor’s love of sports.

We’re a baseball family.  For better or for worse, we root for the Atlanta Braves while my sister’s family cheers for the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox.  When my nephews were playing, their dad coached Pony league ball and travel ball, and now he coaches the high school team.  Our daughter played fast pitch softball in Little League, travel ball, and high school.  My cousin Glenn was a collector of baseball memorabilia and even paid for his 3 daughters’ braces just selling baseball cards.  As we say in the South, “We’re eat up with it.”

So to have a professional ballplayer in the family is a big deal. 

Arthur Henry “Woody” Woodring is no one famous. I didn’t know him either, but he was married to my great-aunt Velma Davis.

1949

Even after looking at numerous photos, studying the census records, and trying to learn about old ball teams, I still know very little except this:  Woody was born in Pennsylvania about 1904.  In the 1920 Waynesboro, Pennsylvania census, he was working in a factory and his mother was running a boarding house; his father is not listed. Woody and Velma married in 1927, but he is nowhere to be found in the 1930 census although she is living with her parents in Shenandoah, Virginia, and is listed as married.  Woody died in 1951, in Martinsburg, West Virginia, where he and Velma lived.  At the time he was a salesman for a meat packing company.

So, what about that baseball career?  Why wasn’t he listed in the 1930 census?  I’m going to guess Woody was traveling, playing ball somewhere.

Judging by his uniform, he played baseball for the Shenandoah Indians, one of the top teams in the Shenandoah Valley League, which was started in 1923. 

I wish I could identify his teammates.

Look at that glove.  Was he a catcher?














These people look authoritative.  My guess is a manager and umpire.

Today the SVL is funded by Major League Baseball as part of the National Alliance of College Summer Baseball, an association of 8 summer leagues.  To date the league has produced over 1000 major league baseball players.

Shenandoah Ball Park 1951
Image scanned from Shenandoah:
A History of Our Town and Its People

Unfortunately, I don’t know the particulars of Woody’s career except that it didn’t last.  Maybe the Depression got in the way. 

My mother always remembered Velma and Woody as “the fun ones” in the family.  They didn’t have kids of their own, but they enjoyed entertaining their niece and nephew. 

Woody and Uncle Orvin Jr.
in 1928

It seems throughout his life, Woody enjoyed all kinds of sports including hunting and fishing.