Brief Life History of Altha A
When Altha A Woodruff was born on 22 January 1869, in Huntington Township, Gallia, Ohio, United States, her father, Mansley W Woodruff, was 27 and her mother, Prudentia J Martin, was 25. She married James Elmer Blackburn about 1888, in Washington, Ohio, United States. They were the parents of at least 1 son and 5 daughters. She lived in Mt. Tabor, Multnomah, Oregon, United States in 1900 and American Lake, Pierce, Washington, United States in 1930. She died on 12 November 1945, in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States, at the age of 76, and was buried in Portland, Multnomah, Oregon, United States.
Photos and Memories (5)
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Family Time Line
Sources (16)
- Altha A Sheble Blackburn in entry for Fred Elmer Blackburn, "Oregon, Center for Health Statistics, Birth Records, 1903-1918"
- Altha A Blackburn, "United States Census, 1930"
- Woodruff in entry for Lewis Miles White and Laura Madeline Blackburn, "Washington, County Marriages, 1855-2008"
Spouse and Children
1865–1926 Male
1869–1945 Female
Children (6)
1889–1890 Female
1892–1970 Female
1894–1920 Female
1901–1968 Female
1903–1919 Female
+1 More Child
Parents and Siblings
1841–1871 Male
1843–1919 Female
Siblings (5)
1865–1865 Male
1867–1955 Female
1868–1941 Female
1869–1945 Female
1870–1913 Male
World Events (8)
1870 · The Fifteenth Amendment
Age 1
1880 · The Great Gale of 1880
Age 11
1889 · Washington Becomes a State
Age 20
Name Meaning
English: from Middle English woderove ‘woodruff, sweet woodruff’ (Old English wudurofe), a sweet-scented plant. The leaves of the plant have a sweet smell and the surname may also have been a nickname for one who used it as a perfume, or perhaps an ironical nickname for a malodorous person. Alternatively, perhaps a topographic name for someone who lived at or near a place where woodruff grew. There may have been some confusion with Woodrow .
History: Two English families brought the name Woodruff to the American colonies: those of Matthew Woodruff and of John and Ann Woodruffe. The latter migrated to Lynn, MA, from Kent, and moved to Southampton, Long Island, NY, before 1640. John and Ann's many descendants were established in NJ, NC, and SC by 1790. The city of Woodruff, SC, is named for this family. The name is variously spelled Woodrove, Woodroffe, Woodruffe, Woodrough, and Woodruff in colonial records.
Dictionary of American Family Names © Patrick Hanks 2003, 2006.
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