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Ara H. (2) Woodhurst was born in Idaho on April 21st 1915 to parents Ara H. (1) Woodhurst and his wife Anna (nee) Hodges. His birth was announced two days later in The Idaho Post as follows:
Born to Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Woodhurst, 922 South Washington,
Wednesday, April 21, 1915, a son.
His birth certificate is very sparse in detail, describing his father as a labourer. It assigns to Anna a second initial "M" not seen in other sources where she appears. The family was living in Moscow, Latah Co.
He was mentioned briefly in a newspaper article when he was aged two [The Daily Star-Mirror (Moscow), February 19th 1918]:
The revival meetings at the Church of God, corner of Eighth and Jefferson streets, with Evangelist Eddings preaching the Word, grows more interesting each evening. His sermons are full of the old-time Holy Ghost and fire. Sunday evening Little Ara H. Woodhurst, not yet three years old, stood on the rostrum and sang a beautiful solo all alone, motion [motioning?] it out as he sang. This baby is certainly used of God.
His family then moved to Spokane Co., Washington State where the US 1920 Census finds them living in Plaza township.
On October 19th 1934 he married in Spokane to Amy Isabel (nee) Dicken by whom he produced the four children listed below.
The US 1940 Census finds him living with Amy and their four children at 2916, North Lee Street in Spokane where Ara H. (2) was working as a scorer for a card club.
His WW2 Draft Registration Card, issued in about 1940, cites the same home address and describes his employment as "W.P.A.", denoting the Work Projects Administration, a work scheme providing relief to the unemployed and originating from the Works Progress Administration scheme that had been established by President Roosevelt in 1935.
City directories for 1982 and 1984 list him at the address 1748, N. Cook Street in Spokane.
He died on January 13th 1999. as reported in The Spokesman Review (Spokane, Washington State) on January 17th:
WOODHURST, Ara H. (Age 83)
Passed away January 13, 1999. He is survived by his wife of 64 years, Amy Woodhurst, Spokane, sons, Dennis Woodhurst and Stanley Woodhurst, daughters and sons-in-law, Shirley and Alan Christiansen, Janet and Bruce Short, all of Spokane, 12 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by one grandchild. He was a resident of Spokane for 80 years. He was a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union. Local 1015 Graveside Service and interment will be held Tuesday, January 19, 1999 at 11 00 AM at Riverside Memorial Park, Palmer Wharton officiating. Memorial contributions may be made to the American Heart Association 140 S Arthur 610, Spokane WA 99202 HENNESSEY-SMITH FUNERAL HOME, 2203 N. DIVISION 085634.
An obituary was published in the same newspaper on the following day, January 18th, stating that he was born at Moscow township in Latah Co., Idaho and had lived in Spokane for about 80 years until his death there at age 83. He had worked as a bus driver for Spokane Transit.
He was buried at the Riverside Memorial Park in Spokane.
Amy died on November 27th 2001 and was likewise buried in the Riverside Memorial Park. The American Social Security Death Index states that she was born on May 30th 1916 and that her SSN was 531-16-2115.
The above-cited obituary states that Shirley married into the Christiansen surname and Janet into the Short surname.