East Washingtonian - Your Hometown News Source

Charles D. Woody

December 25, 1932–November 18, 2021

Our dad, Charles D. Woody, 88, passed peacefully from this world Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, at Prestige Care and Rehabilitation Center in Clarkston with two daughters and a granddaughter by his side. He died of congestive heart failure.

Dad was born to Ralph O. and Hedvig C. (Pearson) Woody on Dec. 25, 1932, in Pomeroy. He married Betty L. Bacon on July 14, 1967. The two divorced in 1973. They had three daughters– Kimberly Fricke (Kevin), of Newcastle, Calif., Charleen Jackson (Steve), of Pomeroy, and Diana Larsen (Troy), of Waitsburg, Wash. His grandchildren include Kyle, Kourtnie, Max, Mitch, Haily, Talen and Teagen; and great-grandchildren Gunnar, Maylene, Stormbjørn, Mileena and Kristopher; and several nieces and nephews.

Dad was a lifelong resident of Pomeroy, where he attended schools and played football and baseball, graduating in 1951. He began studying at Eastern Washington College of Education but was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean War. The truce was signed before he went overseas, so he spent time in Japan going to school. He was in Korea for 15 months. He returned to study at EWCE and University of Idaho. Dad also worked for several local farmers and had fond memories of each, especially the Neil Keatts family. He eventually got a job as a bookkeeper with Pomeroy Grain Growers, where he worked for more than 33 years. He was a member of Pomeroy FFA Alumni Association, life member of the Garfield County Historical Association. and Pomeroy United Methodist Church.

In his younger years, he enjoyed camping, hunting, mushrooming and picking huckleberries with lifelong friends Delbert and Ada Niebel and family. After retirement, he took a cruise to the Caribbean with friends Mary Lou Curran and Don and Jane Koller. He and Mary also spent one fall traveling the states to cemeteries and other historic sites to research their genealogies, including a stop at the Family History Museum in Salt Lake City. He was also fortunate enough to take an Alaska cruise with dear friend Merle Fanning in 2000. Dad was a real expert on local history, particularly his Baldwin family roots. He was a valuable resource on Garfield County history and served as president of the Garfield County Historical Association for some years.

The Garfield County Pioneer Association named him an Honored Pioneer in 2015. Car rides around the county would often spark memories of traveling old roads and highways, who used to live where, what used to stand there, and more.

Dad was a devout Washington State University fan and held season tickets for decades. He traveled to several away football games and attended many bowl games. George Raveling once referred to Dad as “the mayor of Pomeroy,” which tickled him. He still looked forward to Saturday mornings to find the WSU flag on “College Game Day.” He enjoyed his crosswords and listening to gospel music and found a renewed pleasure the last couple of years in working on his stamp collection while limited in his mobility. He also knew his way around the internet and was very active on Facebook, which allowed him to remain connected to friends, family and community when he could no longer leave the house. Ryan Grant was also a special friend who would take him to appointments and drop in regularly to watch sports or just spend time.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Jerome, James and Gordon; and infant sister Martha. His sister Marjorie Bamford resides in Chehalis, Wash.

-Submitted photo

Charles E. Woody

Many thanks to Tri-State Memorial Hospital and Prestige Care and Rehabilitation Center for the care and loving kindness shown Dad during his time there. And to the Pomeroy ambulance crew who were our heroes many times this past year.

A memorial service is set at the Pomeroy United Methodist Church on Saturday, December 11 at 11 a.m. A lunch will follow in the fellowship hall.

Memorial donations in Dad’s name may be made to Garfield County Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 69, Pomeroy, WA 99347; Garfield County Historical Association., P.O Box 261, Pomeroy, WA 99347; or Pomeroy United Methodist Church, P.O. Box 122, Pomeroy, WA 99347.