San
Joaquin County
Biographies
MRS. JESSIE LEE WILHOIT
Belonging to the third generation of
California pioneer forebears, Mrs. Jessie Lee Wilhoit is a representative of
the Woods family who were prominently identified with the upbuilding and
development of San Joaquin County and who left to their descendants not only a
rich legacy of lands and material wealth but those sturdy and noble traits of
character that are the foundation of all true development. Her parents were John Newton and Annie
Victoria (Farmer) Woods, the former a native of Indiana who came to California
via Panama in 1857, while Mrs. Woods, who was born in Missouri, made the
journey across the plains with her parents in 1859. Both parents are now deceased and a detailed
sketch of their lives will be found on another page of this history.
Mrs. Wilhoit was born at Acampo, San
Joaquin County, the site of this town being part of the 320 acre ranch which
her father purchased in 1858, the year following his arrival in California, and
this with additional land which he purchased, remained the family home until
1877. Since she was about ten years of
age, Mrs. Wilhoit has been a resident of Stockton and here she received her
early education, later attending Mills Seminary at Oakland, where she graduated
in 1887. On October 2, 1890, she was
united in marriage with George Ewell Wilhoit, whose father, R. E. Wilhoit, was
one of Stockton’s prominent pioneer businessmen. George E. Wilhoit rose to a high place in
Stockton’s business and professional circles but his successful career was cut
short by his demise on March 15, 1921, while taking a much-needed rest at Long
Beach, California. Mr. and Mrs. Wilhoit
were the parents of one son, John Newton Wilhoit, who since discharging his
patriotic duties in the service of his country during the World War has become
a successful bond broker at San Francisco.
On the death of her father, John
Newton Woods, Mrs. Wilhoit and her sister took charge of his large estate and
has devoted much of her time to looking after the large interests left
her. She finds time, however, to take an
active part in civil and social affairs, and is a member of the board of
managers of the Children’s Home, a director of the Day Nursery and the Philomathean Club, a member of the Eastern Star, president
of the Mills Club of Stockton, and she also belongs to the Civic Center Club in
San Francisco which numbers 2500 women as its members.
In point of the number of years of
membership she is the oldest member of Grace Methodist Episcopal Church of
Stockton. In his will John Newton Woods
left a legacy for a new building for this church and Mrs. Wilhoit with her
sister added liberally to this and carried out the provisions faithfully and with
much capability, following in the footsteps of her esteemed father in
demonstrating her ability to handle large affairs.
Aside from having traveled
extensively throughout the United States, Mrs. Wilhoit has traveled much in
Europe. In 1908, with her husband and
son, she spent two months on a Mediterranean cruise, taking in Egypt, Algeria,
the Holy Land, Malta, Sicily, Greece, the Canal Zone and Panama, and also a
trip to the Hawaiian Islands. Cultured
and talented, Mrs. Wilhoit is a well traveled and well read woman and is indeed
an interesting conversationalist.
Transcribed by Gerald Iaquinta.
Source: Tinkham, George
H., History of San Joaquin County, California , Pages
360-363. Los Angeles, Calif.: Historic
Record Co., 1923.
© 2011 Gerald Iaquinta.
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