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November 30, 2011.

WOODIE WATERFIELD

The picture of Woodie Waterfield, brother of Onie Waterfield, is from World War I when he was a wagoneer. Prior to the war, Woodie had gone out to Washington state to work on building the railroad. Unfortunately, his experiences in the war resulted in what then was known as shell shock and today would probably be post traumatic stress disorder. He was fairly reclusive upon returning to his father’s farm at the north end, and his niece, Margaret Waterfield Trout, recalls that she and her sisters did not really know him very well back in their childhoods. He farmed with his father, James Edward Waterfield, and raised sweet potatoes, watermelons, peaches, and cantaloupes as well as fished. Woodie never married and when he could no longer live alone, he lived with the his nieces, Zora Doxey and then Margaret Trout. He was a gentle, witty and affable man who seemed, in his later years, to enjoy being in the company of others. We learned that prior to his war injury, his life had been quite adventurous. Something Uncle Woodie said about the marsh road [before it was paved] “that it was so crooked, that the mule in the front of the wagon could eat his hay out the back of the wagon”

Comment Jane Brumley: Woodie E. Waterfield - Born 12 Oct. 1888 Died 17 Oct. 1978. Buried in Knotts Island Cemetary.

He was my neighbor when I got married and moved to the "north end". I would visit with him and remember he gave me a pledge of $ when I was on the finance committee of Virginia Beach General Hospital. (now Sentara Virginia Beach). The day I was at his house to do the paper work for the pledge is the day of the Alan B.Shepard space travel. We both watched the coverage on his television. I also know that he never married.

His brother, Onie Capps Waterfield, is also buried at the Knotts Island Cemetary.