--Published in The Alaska Dispatch News, 04/14/2016:
Betty Woodruff was born Betty Ann Woods, the daughter of Robert Franklin Woods and Gertrude Ann Doolittle Woods, in Nashville, Tenn., on July 27, 1927.
She was the youngest of five children and grew up in the states of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Va., on May 14, 1944, at the age of 16.
She met the love of her life, William Lee Woodruff, at Washington Missionary College in Takoma Park, Md., where she completed her secretarial training. Bill and Betty were married by her pastor father on Jan. 16, 1947, in Staunton, Va.
Betty worked while Bill finished his ministerial training and in 1954, they moved to Grafton, W.Va., where Bill began his ministry and Betty cared for their three daughters. From Grafton they moved to Beckley and then Huntington in West Virginia.
Betty was an accomplished musician playing both the piano and organ and utilized her talent by playing for religious services in the many places they lived. In 1960, the family moved to Jamestown, N.Y., followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., where Betty worked as a legal secretary. Moving in 1966, to Walla Walla, Wash., in the Pacific Northwest, Betty was Secretary to the Vice President of Walla Walla University from 1966-1974.
When her husband Bill took up administrative duties for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Betty was an executive secretary for the Indiana Conference in Carmel, Ind.(1974-1977); the Alaska Conference in Anchorage, Alaska (1977-1985); and the Arkansas/Louisiana Conference in Shreveport, La. (1985-1995). Following retirement, Bill and Betty moved to be near their daughter Patricia Gilliland in Mt. Vernon, Wash.
A few years after the death of her husband in 2001, she lived with her daughter, Patricia. On Aug. 5, 2013, she returned to Anchorage, to live with her daughter, Ruth Farnsworth. On April 9, 2016, at 8:15 p.m., she died at home with her three daughters by her side.
She was 88 years old and will be interred beside her husband in Mt. Vernon, Wash. She had a strong faith in God and her beautiful heartfelt prayers were an inspiration to all.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Jeanette Woods Hale; brothers, Robert Donald Woods, Dr. Paul Andrew Woods and Norman Edward Woods; and her husband, William Lee Woodruff.
Surviving are her three daughters and spouses: Ruth Ann and Erwin Farnsworth of Anchorage, Alaska; Patricia Leigh and Duane Gilliland of Burlington, Wash.; and Judith Lynn and Wes Williamson of Loveland, Colo.; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service for Betty will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7 p.m., at the Hillside O'Malley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6000 O'Malley Road.
Arrangements are with Janssen Funeral Homes.
Betty Woodruff was born Betty Ann Woods, the daughter of Robert Franklin Woods and Gertrude Ann Doolittle Woods, in Nashville, Tenn., on July 27, 1927.
She was the youngest of five children and grew up in the states of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Va., on May 14, 1944, at the age of 16.
She met the love of her life, William Lee Woodruff, at Washington Missionary College in Takoma Park, Md., where she completed her secretarial training. Bill and Betty were married by her pastor father on Jan. 16, 1947, in Staunton, Va.
Betty worked while Bill finished his ministerial training and in 1954, they moved to Grafton, W.Va., where Bill began his ministry and Betty cared for their three daughters. From Grafton they moved to Beckley and then Huntington in West Virginia.
Betty was an accomplished musician playing both the piano and organ and utilized her talent by playing for religious services in the many places they lived. In 1960, the family moved to Jamestown, N.Y., followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., where Betty worked as a legal secretary. Moving in 1966, to Walla Walla, Wash., in the Pacific Northwest, Betty was Secretary to the Vice President of Walla Walla University from 1966-1974.
When her husband Bill took up administrative duties for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Betty was an executive secretary for the Indiana Conference in Carmel, Ind.(1974-1977); the Alaska Conference in Anchorage, Alaska (1977-1985); and the Arkansas/Louisiana Conference in Shreveport, La. (1985-1995). Following retirement, Bill and Betty moved to be near their daughter Patricia Gilliland in Mt. Vernon, Wash.
A few years after the death of her husband in 2001, she lived with her daughter, Patricia. On Aug. 5, 2013, she returned to Anchorage, to live with her daughter, Ruth Farnsworth. On April 9, 2016, at 8:15 p.m., she died at home with her three daughters by her side.
She was 88 years old and will be interred beside her husband in Mt. Vernon, Wash. She had a strong faith in God and her beautiful heartfelt prayers were an inspiration to all.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Jeanette Woods Hale; brothers, Robert Donald Woods, Dr. Paul Andrew Woods and Norman Edward Woods; and her husband, William Lee Woodruff.
Surviving are her three daughters and spouses: Ruth Ann and Erwin Farnsworth of Anchorage, Alaska; Patricia Leigh and Duane Gilliland of Burlington, Wash.; and Judith Lynn and Wes Williamson of Loveland, Colo.; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service for Betty will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7 p.m., at the Hillside O'Malley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6000 O'Malley Road.
Arrangements are with Janssen Funeral Homes.
--Published in The Alaska Dispatch News, 04/14/2016:
Betty Woodruff was born Betty Ann Woods, the daughter of Robert Franklin Woods and Gertrude Ann Doolittle Woods, in Nashville, Tenn., on July 27, 1927.
She was the youngest of five children and grew up in the states of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Va., on May 14, 1944, at the age of 16.
She met the love of her life, William Lee Woodruff, at Washington Missionary College in Takoma Park, Md., where she completed her secretarial training. Bill and Betty were married by her pastor father on Jan. 16, 1947, in Staunton, Va.
Betty worked while Bill finished his ministerial training and in 1954, they moved to Grafton, W.Va., where Bill began his ministry and Betty cared for their three daughters. From Grafton they moved to Beckley and then Huntington in West Virginia.
Betty was an accomplished musician playing both the piano and organ and utilized her talent by playing for religious services in the many places they lived. In 1960, the family moved to Jamestown, N.Y., followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., where Betty worked as a legal secretary. Moving in 1966, to Walla Walla, Wash., in the Pacific Northwest, Betty was Secretary to the Vice President of Walla Walla University from 1966-1974.
When her husband Bill took up administrative duties for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Betty was an executive secretary for the Indiana Conference in Carmel, Ind.(1974-1977); the Alaska Conference in Anchorage, Alaska (1977-1985); and the Arkansas/Louisiana Conference in Shreveport, La. (1985-1995). Following retirement, Bill and Betty moved to be near their daughter Patricia Gilliland in Mt. Vernon, Wash.
A few years after the death of her husband in 2001, she lived with her daughter, Patricia. On Aug. 5, 2013, she returned to Anchorage, to live with her daughter, Ruth Farnsworth. On April 9, 2016, at 8:15 p.m., she died at home with her three daughters by her side.
She was 88 years old and will be interred beside her husband in Mt. Vernon, Wash. She had a strong faith in God and her beautiful heartfelt prayers were an inspiration to all.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Jeanette Woods Hale; brothers, Robert Donald Woods, Dr. Paul Andrew Woods and Norman Edward Woods; and her husband, William Lee Woodruff.
Surviving are her three daughters and spouses: Ruth Ann and Erwin Farnsworth of Anchorage, Alaska; Patricia Leigh and Duane Gilliland of Burlington, Wash.; and Judith Lynn and Wes Williamson of Loveland, Colo.; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service for Betty will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7 p.m., at the Hillside O'Malley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6000 O'Malley Road.
Arrangements are with Janssen Funeral Homes.
Betty Woodruff was born Betty Ann Woods, the daughter of Robert Franklin Woods and Gertrude Ann Doolittle Woods, in Nashville, Tenn., on July 27, 1927.
She was the youngest of five children and grew up in the states of Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. She graduated from Shenandoah Valley Academy in New Market, Va., on May 14, 1944, at the age of 16.
She met the love of her life, William Lee Woodruff, at Washington Missionary College in Takoma Park, Md., where she completed her secretarial training. Bill and Betty were married by her pastor father on Jan. 16, 1947, in Staunton, Va.
Betty worked while Bill finished his ministerial training and in 1954, they moved to Grafton, W.Va., where Bill began his ministry and Betty cared for their three daughters. From Grafton they moved to Beckley and then Huntington in West Virginia.
Betty was an accomplished musician playing both the piano and organ and utilized her talent by playing for religious services in the many places they lived. In 1960, the family moved to Jamestown, N.Y., followed by Pittsburgh, Pa., where Betty worked as a legal secretary. Moving in 1966, to Walla Walla, Wash., in the Pacific Northwest, Betty was Secretary to the Vice President of Walla Walla University from 1966-1974.
When her husband Bill took up administrative duties for the Seventh-day Adventist Church, Betty was an executive secretary for the Indiana Conference in Carmel, Ind.(1974-1977); the Alaska Conference in Anchorage, Alaska (1977-1985); and the Arkansas/Louisiana Conference in Shreveport, La. (1985-1995). Following retirement, Bill and Betty moved to be near their daughter Patricia Gilliland in Mt. Vernon, Wash.
A few years after the death of her husband in 2001, she lived with her daughter, Patricia. On Aug. 5, 2013, she returned to Anchorage, to live with her daughter, Ruth Farnsworth. On April 9, 2016, at 8:15 p.m., she died at home with her three daughters by her side.
She was 88 years old and will be interred beside her husband in Mt. Vernon, Wash. She had a strong faith in God and her beautiful heartfelt prayers were an inspiration to all.
She was preceded in death by her parents; and sister, Jeanette Woods Hale; brothers, Robert Donald Woods, Dr. Paul Andrew Woods and Norman Edward Woods; and her husband, William Lee Woodruff.
Surviving are her three daughters and spouses: Ruth Ann and Erwin Farnsworth of Anchorage, Alaska; Patricia Leigh and Duane Gilliland of Burlington, Wash.; and Judith Lynn and Wes Williamson of Loveland, Colo.; eight grandchildren; and 13 great-grandchildren.
A Memorial Service for Betty will take place on Friday, April 15, 2016, at 7 p.m., at the Hillside O'Malley Seventh-day Adventist Church, 6000 O'Malley Road.
Arrangements are with Janssen Funeral Homes.
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