His parents, Mr. George C. Gooding and Mrs. Esther Sprague Gooding, came to Ft. Towson from Fort Armstrong, upper Mississippi, about 1832, lived in the army fort until their death, are buried in the historic cemetery at Ft. Towson.

Mr. Gooding had charge of the commissary at the Fort and both he and his wife were educated, cultured people. Theirs was a homey, comfortable, hospitable Christian home, whose doors always stood open to their friends, their relatives, to the weary travelers who passed through the Fort and especially to our missionaries who were laboring among the Indians at that time.

Mrs. Mary Semple Hotchkin, mother of Rev. E. Hotchkin, president of Oklahoma Presbyterian College told the writer that when she came as a missionary to the Indians in the early fifties that her first teaching was done at Wheelock, a full-blood boarding school for Indian girls not a great distance from Fort Towson that the Gooding home, in due time after she had gotten acquainted with the family became a veritable "haven of rest" for her, that when she got all tired out, or became discouraged with herself, with the progress she was making in her school and religious work, she always, if possible, went to see Mrs. Gooding, made a visit, told her of her troubles, perplexities and discouragements and that Mrs. Gooding, in her quiet, motherly, Christian manner could always soothe, comfort and encourage her to the extent that her work became dearer to her each day that passed. In time it brought joy and happiness into her young life, became a privilege rather than a task.

Miss Semple was one of the many early missionaries that Mrs. Gooding "mothered." She found her greatest happiness in Christian service, in the home, in the early churches maintained by the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions among the Indians. With all she came in contact with she lived and died the life of a Christian wife and mother.

In such a home Henry, the subject of this sketch was reared, a home that had a family altar, one where Bible instruction was given daily, also reverence for God's worship. When old enough Henry attended a private school of a very high order maintained for the officer's children and children of other army employees connected with the Fort. By the time the young lad had reached maturity he had acquired a fair education and was married to Miss Rosa A. LeFlore at Ft. Towson in 1863. The marriage ceremony was performed by Rev. Cyrus Kingsbury, veteran missionary who had labored with the Indians in Mississippi, had remained with them until the last company left their homes, had started to the new country beyond the "big waters," the promised land that many who made the start never reached. At the time of Mr. Gooding's marriage, Mr. Kinsbury was located at Pine Ridge, a mission station about two miles from Ft. Towson and was director of Choctaw Missions.

Miss Rosa Gooding was the daughter of Gov. Basil LeFlore, who was at that time living in Fort Towson.

The young couple, Mr. and Mrs. Gooding, built a home at Fort Towson, remained there until the Fort was disbanded, after which they lived at Clear Creek, not far from the old Fort, remained there until Gov. LeFlore moved to Goodland a few years after the war was over the Gooding family moved on a farm in sight of the school adjoining the LeFlore home and in time a comfortable home was built and a good farm put into cultivation.

During the latter eighties, Mrs. Gooding, never a strong woman, went home after a long, lingering illness of several years duration.

Nine children were born unto this union who were tenderly cared for and well trained in the home of Gov. and Mrs. Basil LeFlore until Mr. Gooding was married to Miss Roxie Hughes during 1892. Miss Hughes was an orphan, had lived in the home of Gov. and Mrs. LeFlore several years before her marriage to Mr. Gooding.

While living in Ft. Towson Mr. Gooding united with the church, faithfully attended all its services and was generous in the way of helping to support and built it up. After moving to Goodland he attended church at this place, his children grew up with the church, attended the school, received the foundation of their education under the different mission teachers, in time attended other schools. Two daughters and a granddaughter have taught in our Orphanage, at the present time two of Mr. Gooding's great-grandchildren are enrolled here as students.

The Gooding home here, as the old home in Ft. Towson, has taken care of, fed and sheltered many of the church workers and travelers. He loved to welcome the ministers, their families, was always glad to have the Presbytery meet at Goodland. Having learned the Choctaw language, he was perfectly at home with the Indian people, enjoyed mixing with them, had them in his home, attended their camp meetings, hunted and fished with them, in fact, was much help to them in the way of advising them, explaining to them the changes they were coming into with the allotment of their lands, the advent of statehood, the many other changes that were coming to them in the near future that they could neither grasp nor understand with their perplexed minds.

During 1894 the old church was torn down. Mr. Gooding had bought a saw mill and was operating it in a pine forest several miles east of here. From this saw mill Mr. Gooding sent load after load of lumber free of charge to erect a larger and better church which, with some repairs, and some additions, is still in use, a monument of his love and generosity to his home mission station. He was also greatly interested in the Orphanage. As a charter member of its first school board, he helped them plan the work, gave liberally, willingly of his time, talents and his means to promote the progress of the institution. In his own home, he kept, reared and helped educate several orphan children who are now grown to maturity, whose ideals of right and Christian living were given them through the influences and environments of the Gooding home.

Mr. Gooding quietly fell asleep at his home Oct. 18, 1926. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Roxie Gooding; their daughter, Mrs. Leonard Lewis, of California; also Mrs. Rosa Plank, of McAlester; and Mrs. Winnie Springs of Hugo, Charles H. Gooding of California.