Grace Woods

born: 28 May 1885
Benton County, Missouri,
United States of America
died: 30 May 1952
Los Angeles, California,
United States of America
(coronary sclerosis, age 67)

American actress whose film career spanned from the late 1910s through the 1930s. Per her Los Angeles Times obituary, she "did free-lance character acting in Hollywood for 25 years." She was variously known as Grace Wood (by marriage, the correct spelling) or Grace Woods. She was the older sister of Fern Carter, the longtime on-set teacher of the "Our Gang" kids, and the aunt of Ivadell Carter (whose real first name was Grace, after her aunt).
Grace Baker's birth record says she was born in Benton County, Missouri; she was raised in Sedalia, Missouri, in nearby Pettis County. Fern, born about eight years later, was Grace's only sibling. Their parents were Sarah Louella (Ellis) Baker (1856-1935) and Joseph Wallace Baker (1845-1898), who married on 8 November 1881 in Henry County, Missouri. Sarah never remarried after her husband's passing.
On 20 August 1907, Grayce E. Baker (as the license spells her name) married Kentucky-born Hubert E. Wood (1868-1916) in Sedalia. By 1910, they are living in Justice Precinct No. 3, Oldham County, Texas, where Hubert is a hotel "keeper." By 1915, they are in Topeka, Kansas, where Hubert is a hotel clerk. Hubert died on 12 April 1916 at Stormont Hospital in Topeka, from apoplexy, leaving Grace a widow.
Grace moved to Los Angeles shortly after Hubert's passing; her death certificate says she had stayed in Los Angeles for 36 years, indicating she arrived around 1916. Grace's earliest known film credits were released in 1918, during which time she also worked with Will Rogers; sister Fern and her family joined Grace in California that same year. In the 1920 Census, the widowed Grace is living at 1433 Commonwealth and working as an actress in "silent drama." By the time of the 1921 L.A. City Directory, Grace is living at 1208 North Bronson Avenue, Los Angeles, giving her occupation as "photoplayer" and "actor" in L.A. City Directories through much of the 1920s. She would live at 1208 N. Bronson for the rest of her life.
On 8 September 1926, Grace Baker Wood remarried, to Irish-born Post Office driver/mechanic Henry Haverty (1877-1952). Grace gives her occupation as "housewife." Both are residing at 1208 N. Bronson. In the 1930 Census, Grace gives her occupation as "seamstress" at a "studio." In the 1940 and 1950 Censuses, she has no profession, nor does Henry. Grace also worked in films as a stand-in, including for Minnie Dupree on "The Young in Heart" (1938).
On the morning (9:05am) of 30 May 1952, two days after her 67th birthday, housewife Grace Wood Haverty passed away at her North Bronson home in Los Angeles from coronary sclerosis. Her death certificate gives an incorrect birth year of 1884, and thus an age of 68. She was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery in Sedalia, Missouri, next to her first husband, Hubert E. Wood; Grace's father, J. Wallace Baker, is also buried in the same cemetery. Less than four months later, on 16 September 1952, the widowed Henry Haverty succumbed to cerebral thrombosis at Hollywood Presbyterian Hospital.
Real name: Grace Baker
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography.

21
(1)


1918
Here Come The Girls
[?]

1921
I Do
[?]

1923
No Noise
Nurse

1924
The Cake Eater
Arabella's friend

1924
Every Man For Himself
Bookworm

1925
Circus Fever
Joe's mother

1925
Mary, Queen Of Tots
Mickey's mother

1926
Thundering Fleas
Skooter's mother
 

1928
Edison, Marconi & Co.
Mother
[*image is from still]

1928
The Ol' Gray Hoss
Pedestrian hit by food

1928
Two Tars
Motorist who gets sprayed in the face with oil

1929
Going Ga-Ga
Pedestrian with pram

1929
Movie Night
Theatre patron

1929
Berth Marks
Train passenger

1929
Perfect Day
Friendly neighbor

1931
Politiquerias
Passerby

1931
One Of The Smiths
Train passenger

1932
Spanky
Spanky's mother

1933
The Devil's Brother
Tavern patron

1933
One Track Minds
Train passenger

1935
Southern Exposure
Courtoom spectator

Acknowledgements:
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V2X1-8CC (birth record)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M387-M8T (1900 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WGGP-JF6Z (1907 marriage)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XNV-4243 (marriage index)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XVK-JY85 (marriage index)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XKX-NYRR (marriage index)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XMB7-QBC (1910 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QLPM-9SY5 (1915 KS Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MHQX-RBF (1920 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K8NX-N2D (1926 marriage)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XCJB-47R (1930 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:K9CX-HFK (1940 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XGH-77WK (1950 Census)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP7X-TFS (CA Death Index)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPSC-JB69 (death certificate)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109968780 (Find a Grave)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/68386634/ (Sedalia Democrat, 04 Aug 1935)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/717465772/ (Citizen-News [Hollywood, CA], 05 Aug 1935)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/68392114/ (Sedalia Democrat, 09 Aug 1935)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/335817679/ (Windsor Review, 24 Jun 1937)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/759956442/ (Richmond News Leader, 29 Nov 1938)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/68374233/ (Sedalia Democrat-Capital, 01 Jun 1952)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/683869222/ (Citizen-News [Hollywood, CA], 02 Jun 1952)
https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/381009038/ (Los Angeles Times, 03 Jun 1952)
1920 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace Mrs photoplayer h4695 Hollywood blvd
1921 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace B wid Hubert photoplayer h1208 N Bronson av
1922 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace B wid Hubert photo player h1208 N Bronson av
1923 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace wid Hubert photo player h1208 N Bronson av
1924 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace wid Hubert h1208 N Bronson av
1925 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace B photoplayer h1208 N Bronson av
1926 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Mrs Grace h1208 N Bronson
1927 L.A. City Dir.: Wood Grace B actor h1208 N Bronson av
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:68Y7-NGDZ (parents' marriage, 1881)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:V28F-GRM (parents' marriage, 1881)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/115352231 (father J. Wallace Baker at Find a Grave)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QPWT-6VK8 (mother Sarah Lou Baker's death certificate, 1935)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QGR1-C7NG (sister Fern Hazel Baker Carter's death certificate, 1961)
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/109968753 (1st husband Hubert E. Wood at Find a Grave)
https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QP7R-9ZQZ (2nd husband Henry Haverty's death certificate, 1952)
http://theluckycorner.com/crew/carter.html (Fern Carter bio; Robert Demoss/The Lucky Corner)
Jesse Brisson (help and information; identification in The Ol' Gray Hoss, Southern Exposure, The Devil's Brother,
One Track Minds, Berth Marks, No Noise, Every Man For Himself)
Jim Clewer (identification in Politiquerias)

This page was last updated on: 23 September 2024