Marion N. Woodward's Obituary
Marion Woodward, passed away Sunday, November 1, 2009 at the age of 93. She was residing at the Monroe Care Center, Albia, Iowa.
Marion Natalie Petersen was born May 17, 1916 in Tilden, Nebraska. She was the first born of Earl and Olive Wagner Petersen. She graduated from Tilden High School and moved to Marshalltown, Iowa to attend nursing school and became a registered nurse. She married William H Woodward Sr. in 1938. Together they had five sons, Bill Jr., Robert, Gordon, Gary, and Bruce and one daughter, Natalie. She also had a stepson, George Woodward. Through the years they lived in several communities and then moved to Colfax, Iowa where they owned a heating and plumbing business. In 1959 they moved to Moravia, Iowa and opened the same business there. Marion worked with Bill in that business, but also worked for many years as the nurse for Dr. Ray Avera and also as the school nurse for the Moravia Schools.
Marion was a long time member of the Church of the Nazarene in Moravia. She was very active in her church being a Sunday School teacher, church board member and greeter, but her real love was being President of the Church Missionary Society. She communicated with missionaries all over the world and headed up many projects sending medical supplies and other needs to help the people and workers on the mission field.
Marion also spent her life serving the Moravia Community. She was on the Sr. Housing Committee, the Library Board, the Moravia Booster Club, Garden Club, Fall Festival and the PTA. Marion loved helping anyone who was in need and always had a big smile and an even bigger heart.
She survived by her sons, Robert (Judy) Woodward of Choctaw, Oklahoma, Gordon (Pamela) Woodward of Cave Creek, Arizona, Gary (Shirley Jean) Woodward of Webster City and Bruce (Brenda) Woodward of Marshalltown, Iowa, a daughter, Natalie (David) Oldham of Moravia, Iowa; daughter-in-laws, Leila (Bill Jr.) Woodward of Ankeny and fern Heckert of Ohio; fourteen grandchildren; twenty great grandchildren; a brother, Ronald (Betty) Peterson of Neligh, Nebraska; and a sister, Marjoane Frost of Russell, Kansas.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband Bill Sr.; a son Bill Woodward Jr.; step son George Woodward; and three sisters, LaVern Welburn, Norma Udey, and Milre Harshbarger.
Funeral services will be held 1 PM Friday, November 6, 2009 at the Church of the Nazarene in Moravia with Pastor Terry Chapman officiating. Burial will follow in the Moravia Cemetery. A visitation will be held Thursday at Lange Funeral Home in Moravia with the family present from 6-8 PM. A memorial has been established and may be left at or mailed to the Lange Funeral Home. Condolences may be left online at www.thomaslangefuneralhome.com.
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