History of Falmouth Home Tells Long Story

Generously submitted by Greg Justice

By Angela Lawson (14), daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Raymond Lawson, Granddaughter of John A. Woodhead.

The property where Woodhead and Sons Funeral Home is now located was pasture land and was bought by Reubon. Reubon McCarty was a brother-in-law to William Covington Kenneth, , who was the first County Clerk of Pendleton County. The property is located on the corner of Mountjoy and Shelby Street.  Reubon McCarty bought the property 1/3/1848.

Reubon McCarty built the building which is now the Woodhead and Sons Funeral Home, about 1865.  He was an old Indian fighter and was one of the few survivors of the Battle of the Raisen River.  He also served in the Mexican War.

On 5/14/1890 Reubon McCarty sold the property to Matthew Mullins. Matthew Mullins lived 14 years, 2 months, AND 2 days.

On 7/16/1904 Olive Mullins sold the property to N.C. Ridgeway for $4,500.00. OLIVE Mullins was the daughter of Matthew Mullins.  N.C. Ridgeway Mr. Warren Shonert's grandfather. Mr. Warren Shonert is the owner and publisher of the Falmouth Outlook Newspaper. N.C. Ridgeway died in 1922.

The house was vacant until 6/27/1923. Frances Mullins Childers bought the house at auction. 

On 3/23/1932 Frances Mullins Childers sold the property to F.N. and Fannie Shoemaker.

On 4/12/1932 F.N. and Fannie Shoemaker sold the property, lots 2 and 3, to John A. Woodhead.

On 4/7/1937 Frank Stith and Frances Stith, his wife, sold property lot number 4, on the east side of Mountjoy Street, for one dollar and other valuable.  It was on this lot that the old home’s stables and ice house were located.

John A. Woodhead was born 6/28/1881. He married Bessie Maude Beckett 4/29/1902. They were the parents of 5 children.

John A. Woodhead, together with his wife and two sons, resided at Falmouth, where he engaged in the undertaking business.  John A. Woodhead’s two sons, who helped him in his business, were Willian Paul and Joseph Woodford Woodhead.  John A. Woodhead had eight years of education.  Mr. Woodhead then went to embalming school for six months.  He got his license about 1902 to be a mortician.  He worked in the Funeral Home business from the time he got his license until the time of his death.  John A. Woodhead died 6/24/1964. Mr. Woodhead was also a city clerk for the city of Falmouth and an insurance agent. William Paul preceded him in death in 12/1942. When John A. Woodhead died he left the business to Joseph Woodford Woodhead.

Joseph Woodford Woodhead married Edith Amelia Roberts.  They had three sons and one daughter.  Joseph Woodford Woodhead was a high school graduate, 1932.  He got his embalming license in 1934.

Joseph’s son, John Daniel and his wife, Edith Amelia, joined him in his business.  John Daniel got his embalming and funeral direcor’s license in 1961.  Edith Woodhead got her license for Funeral Director in 1960.  Joseph Woodford Woodhead died in 1966.  Edith Woodhead and Dan owned the business.  In 1968 Juliet Reynolds Woodhead, Daniel’s wife, joined the business after receiving her license.  In 1969, Edith's only daughter, Julia Kay Woodhead Lawson, joined the business after receiving her license.  In 1970 Edith’s younger son James Timothy joined the business.  James Timothy died in April, 1975.

Joseph and Edith’s second son, Joseph Martin was killed in a bicycle accident on 5/26/1957.

Before John A. Woodhead died, he remodeled and repaired the house.  The house was in bad shape because of being vacant for a while.  The original house before John A. remodeled it, had 14 rooms, 3 halls, 3 porches and 2 baths. In 1957 a new chapel was added to the left side of the building.  In 1965 they built a new closed in, half circle, front porch on the building

In 1968 the owners of the business bought the building next door to the original building.  They connected the two buildings with an inside ramp. They made the bottom part of the building anew memorial chapel.  The new memorial chapel is approximately 50 feet by  100 feet.. The second floor of the building was made into apartments.

In 1975 the family remodeled the middle chapel, which is used for a second chapel.

Submitter’s Note:  This is a story written by Angela Lawson when she was 14 years of age.  I am submitting the information for the benefit of genealogy and history archives.  The picture attached is of the home and it’s original looks before it became the Woodhead Funeral Home.  Thanks so much Angela for your hard work. 

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