Short Biography of Martin Wood

WOOD, Martin, one of the Latterday Saint Elders who died while filling a mission, was born Feb. 24, 1818, in Northfield, Portage county, Ohio, the son of Henry Wood and Esther Cranmer. Becoming a convert to "Mormonism," he was baptized by King Follett in November, 1838. After that he was with the saints in their persecutions and came to Utah at an early day. He located in Wellsville, Cache county, Utah, and became a member of the 17th quorum of Seventy. In 1863 he was called on a mission to Englad; he was set apart for that mission April 26, 1863, and arrived in Liverppol July 29, 1863, after crossing the Atlantic in the steamship "City of Washington." After his arrival in Englad, he was appointed to labor in the Newcastle-on-Tyne district, under the direction of Moses F. Farnsworth, and spent most of his time as a missionary in the Sunderland, Shields and Seaham branches. Because of failing health he was honorably released to return home in the fall of 1863. He sailed from Liverpool Oct. 14, 1863, for New York, crossing the Atlantic in the steamship "Etna," and stayed with friends in Ohio until the emigration started west in 1864, when he joined Wm. B. Preston's train, which left Wyoming, Nebraska, for the mountains Sept 15, 1864. On the journey across the plains Bro. Wood died on the Weber river, Utah, in October, 1864. He left a wife and three children (one son and two daughters).

Source: "Latter-Day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints" ³⁷⁵⁴