Funeral services for Marian J. Woodward will be held Monday, June 4, 2018, at Govier Brothers Chapel in Broken Bow, NE at 11:00 AM. Burial will be in the Waldheim Cemetery in Arnold, NE. Visitation will be on Sunday, June 3, 2018, from 3:30 to 5:30 PM at Govier Brothers Mortuary. Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.govierbrothers.com
Marian J. Woodward was born July 19, 1923, and passed away at Mercy Hospital, Joplin MO on May 30, 2018. She was the daughter of Frances O. and Julia (Huff) Reed. She was born in Walworth, NE and lived there until the family moved to Daytona Beach, FL, hoping the warm humid climate might help her father’s crippling arthritis. They resided there for about a year and then returned to NE and made their home at Broken Bow. She was one of seven children born to this union, Betty (Weldon) Swick, Walter, killed in World War II, Robert (Betty) Reed, Rodney (Bonnie) Reed, Herself, Dorothy (Frank) Mayo, and Gwen (Robert) Jacobsen, later DenDoven. Her formal education was started in a small country school and later in the Broken Bow school system. She graduated with the class of 1941.
When she was 13 years of age, she accepted Christ and followed this commitment for her entire life.
After Peral Harbor, when all the youth were seeking ways to help in the war effort, she moved to Wichita, KS where she enrolled in a government school which taught many of the various trades in the art of airplane building. She enrolled in a class teaching riveting. Upon completion of this course, she was employed by the Boeing Aircraft Company. Her first job was riveting on a small trainer plane and when that particular plane was phased out, she went to work in the big plant and worked as a riveter on the Boeing B29 where she remained until the war ended.
While living in Wichita, she met Wm. Virgil Woodward who had returned from his tour of duty in the Aleutian Islands and was stationed in Fort Hood Texas waiting to be mustered out of the service. They married on December 2, 1945. They made their home on a small farm & ranch in the Rye Valley community, eight miles Northwest of Callaway, NE. They raised a family of three boys and one daughter.
In 1954, they purchased a farm, eight miles south of Berwyn, NE, where her husband could pursue his dream of ranching, raising Black Angus cattle and horses, and later had a herd of Holstein cows and went into the Grade A dairy business. She was a hard worker and helped farm and was a 4-H leader for 10 years. She always raised a very large garden and several flocks of broiler chickens each year. She did a lot of canning of everything from tomatoes to corn and peaches. She also kept several school teachers who taught at the one-room schoolhouse where the kids went to the eighth grade. She kept the family books and made sure the kids had a good education. When it came time for sons Ted & Harold to report to military service, she kept her sons in daily prayer and was very grateful both returned home after serving in wartime.
Virgil passed away on March 1, 1970. Faced with the daunting task of running a farm, she dispersed most of the cattle and machinery and turned the farm management to her son Harold. She moved to Broken Bow and in 1971 started working in the Custer County Clerk’s office as a title clerk. She became the Deputy County Clerk in 1973 and in 1974 she ran for the office of County Clerk and won the election taking office in January 1975 where she continued until 1991 when she retired to care for her ailing mother.
During her life in Broken Bow, she was active in the First Baptist church. She was a deaconess and later became Chairman of the Diaconate. She held offices of Chr. Of the Board of Education, church Secretary, Choir member, President of the Night Missionary Circle, Chr. Of the White Cross, Church
Treasurer and Vice Moderator and Moderator of the Custer County Association of churches. She also taught Sunday School and helped with Vacation Bible School. She always thought she should help where there was a need in the church and served faithfully in this capacity.
She was well thought of and respected by her employees, friends, and associates. She loved quilt making and enjoyed making many beautiful quilts for her family. She also crocheted and knitted and was the happiest when she could sew or quilt and serve her family and church.
Due to the need for a hip replacement, she moved in 2004, to Jefferson City, MO to be near her son Harold and family. She united with the Concord Baptist Church and attended it faithfully.
She was preceded in death by her husband, William Virgil Woodward, her daughter, Susan Petrick, son James Theodore, her parents and granddaughter, Dianna Woodward, her daughter-in-law Rita (Harold) and daughter-in-law Patricia (Ted). She leaves to mourn her passing her son, Harold Woodward and wife Deborah, and son Virgil K. Woodward. Fifteen grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Govier Brothers Mortuary are in charge of the arrangements. Online condolences can be left at www.govierbrothers.com.
