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| Grace Woods |
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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) |
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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. |
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Real name: Grace Baker |
Films listed on this page: complete Hal Roach filmography. |
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