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Charles J. "Jack" Woods |
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5-4-21 to 1-20-04 |
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Mom and Dad first met in the late thirties, and were married in 1941. They were farmers near Lenna Ok. He was called to serve in the Army during WW2. Near the end of the war he was captured, and spent about 6 months in Stalag 7-A near Mooseburg, Germany. He never talked too much about his experiences, but the one story I remember best was when he talked about the day General George Patton walked through the gates of the prison, and liberated him. He loved the Flag, and his country all the days of his life.
After coming home they moved to California getting involved in farming, and trucking there for the next 35 years. |
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In the late '30's Dad drove for a local merchant at Lenna,Ok. Rob Smith owned a store and needed someone to haul for the local community although a lot of the work wasn't local driving. Dad hauled anything that needed hauling from livestock to cotton, feed and produce. The truck he drove was an old Dodge bob-tail. He told me about hauling watermelons to Joplin, Missouri and peaches from Arkansas.
After WW2 he started trucking in the San Joaquin Valley of California. He hauled potato's, grapes, oranges, melons, tomatoes, grain and sugar beets during the next 35 years. He also worked for several truck companies during those years. He hauled constuction materials for Blue Fleet lines at Santa Maria, and cased goods for the old Aron cannery on Eight Mile road at Stockton and drove for Tri-Valley Growers when they bought out Aron canning. |
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Dad owned this F-8 Ford in the early 50's. I can still remember the day Mom and Dad painted his name on the door . |
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This picture was taken in 1960. The truck was a 1956 Ford F-600. It had a 16 foot flatbed, but Dad had grain racks with extensions for hauling livestock also. Later this truck was converted to a tractor and pulled a 24 foot semi. |
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Dad hauled cased goods for Tri-Valley Growers for many years as an owner-operator and as a company driver. This Emeryville was equipped with a V-8 Cummins, and 12 speed Spicer transmission. You could always tell it was Dad in front of you climbing a hill at night because of the flame coming out of the stack. |
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Dad is the one on the right in the picture with his brother Austin. The picture is from about 1970 and they are standing by a brand new Freightliner Austin had just bought. |
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Dad's last truck was this '63 Mack. He hauled sugar beets and grain. The truck had a 262 Cummins with a 5 and 3. The last time I saw this truck was at Stockton Elevators in '74. I had parked the Pete I was driving for Buckley. It was about a year after Dad got rid of it and I didn't recognize it til later when I was walking back to my truck. My Mom's name was still on the front of the truck, but the driver had really let the truck go. Dad had always kept the truck very clean. I know we have more pictures and I'll try to get them posted as soon as I can so check back when you can. |
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Mom with the Mack sometime in the early 70's. Mom and Dad were married 57 years at the time of her passing in '99. He lived another five years, but visited her grave daily. If you stand facing their headstones, and look across the road, you will be looking at the land they farmed as a young married couple before WW2. |
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60's & 70's |
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Tom's early years |
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