Robert Kay Woods, 1820–1874

Robert Kay Woods Sr. was born 4 July 1820 in Elkton, Kentucky, to James A. Woods Sr. (1793–1875) and Elizabeth Ann (Kay) Woods (1803–1844). When Robert was five, the family moved to Nashville, Tennessee.

On 20 October 1841, in Nashville, Robert married Susan Elizabeth Berry (1819–1903), who was the daughter of Daniel Berry (1777–1851) and Susanna (Farnum) Berry (1784–1851). In 1842, having moved to St. Louis, Robert joined the dry goods company of Woods, Christy & Co. with William T. Christy.

Robert went on to become one of the founders of the Mercantile Library and the St. Louis School for the Blind. He was also a director and vice president of the Union Insurance Company of St. Louis and a director and cashier of the Merchants’ Bank. When he died, he was vice president of the Safe Deposit Company of St. Louis and the head of a fire insurance agency.

Robert and Susan were the parents of five children:

• • Susan Elizabeth (1842–1913). She married Given Campbell (1835–1906) in 1865.
  • Mary Pearson (1844–1850). Never married.
  • Anna Louise (1850–1888). She married William Henry Bliss (1844–1932) in 1874.
  • Margaret Frances (1855–1935). She married Moses Merritt Greenleaf Jr. (1862–1941) in 1884.
  • Robert Kay Jr. (1859–1901). He married Lucy Helen Babcock (1861–1949) in 1884.

Robert Sr. suffered from tuberculosis and sought relief in “the genial climate of Florida.” He died on 14 February 1874 in Enterprise, Florida, and is buried in the Woods family plot in Bellefontaine Cemetery.

Written by Jim Bellenger
June 2025

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Last Modified: 07-May-2026 12:19