He was reared and educated in Clinton Township, Venango County, PA, and from early boyhood became familiar with the responsibilities of the large estate. Before he commenced drilling for oil there he had been similarly engaged elsewhere, but after striking thirteen dry holes he returned to the home place, where his early successes instilled the confidence to continue operations, which he and his brother have conducted ever since. They drilled the first well put down in this section for the second sand oil, locating it along Bullion run, which passes through their land, all the previous operations having been in the third sand. This well, though opened about twenty years ago, is still producing. It promised so well from the beginning that their stepfather, Mr. Simcox, immediately took a lease adjoining, and oil development has been continued on the DeWoody place up to the present time, thirty wells being now in operation there, with room for a hundred more. Very few dry holes have been found, the land being one of the best local fields exploited so far. The joint holdings of Mrs. Simcox and her sons here comprise about seven hundred acres, rich in coal as well as oil, and the brothers have about one hundred acres of this tract under cultivation, also giving some attention to the breeding of Holstein cattle. They have several head of registered stock. Though busy with his own affairs and diligent in looking after them Mr. DeWoody enjoys hunting and fishing when he has time for recreation, and thoroughly appreciates fine horseflesh. He is alive to local interests and a good citizen but not in public life. Politically he supports the Republican Party. The family belong to the Pleasant View M. E. Church. They occupy the old brick house on the farm built, it is said, in 1812, by the Bonners, who operated a furnace on Bullion run, and after whose failure the property was secured by Reuben Sutton. It was built for a hotel, with one room specially fitted up as a barroom, and the fine woodwork, handmade and showing excellent workmanship, is in good condition after all these years. [CAB, 1002]

Her guardian at the time of her first marriage was E. W. Echols.