Walter O. Woodruff Obituary (1929-2009)

Walter O. Woodruff
(My husband Brandon's Grandpa)

Grandpa Woodruff and his three sons; Roger, Walter Ray, and Steven


Walter Otis Woodruff, 79, lifelong resident of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, died January 22, 2009, at his home in Pleasant Springs Assisted Living Center, West Siloam Springs, Oklahoma. Born March 5, 1929, in Lowell, Arkansas, he was the son of Glen Woodruff and Margaret Blaylock Woodruff. He was a bacteriologist for Pet Milk Company and he was a fireman for the Siloam Springs Fire Department. After retiring from the Fire Department, he was a truck driver for P.A.M. Transport for 10 years before fully retiring in 1994. Walter was a member of First Assembly of God Church, Siloam Springs.

He was preceded in death by one son, Walter Ray Woodruff; two brothers, and one sister.

Survivors include two sons, Steven Woodruff and wife Ann of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, and Roger Woodruff and wife Brenda of Saginaw, Texas; eight grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; two brothers, Melvin Woodruff of Providence, Rhode Island, Vic Woodruff of Fayetteville, Arkansas; four sisters, Nadine Daniels of Siloam Springs, Arkansas, Barbara Summers of Waco, Texas, Celia Woods of Flint Ridge, Oklahoma, and Verna Thurman of Farmington, Arkansas.

Funeral services will be 10:00 a.m., Monday, January 26, 2009, at First Assembly of God Church, Siloam Springs, Arkansas, with Rev. Gary Wheat officiating. Burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery, Siloam Springs. Visitation will be 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., Sunday, January 25, 2009, at Wasson Funeral Home.

I have very fond memories of Grandpa Woodruff. At our wedding reception, he gave me a big hug and told me that I was the daughter he would have loved to have. He was so warm, sincere, and always had a sparkle in his eye. A true Southern gentleman. He also was strong in his Christian faith. I think my husband has many of the traits of his Grandpa. Both men are soft spoken, warm, sincere, and they are truly Southern gentlemen. His Grandpa was a great jokester, and always made people feel comfortable immediately. It has been a sad year for the family; as the divorce of his grandparents also took place this last year. His wife until this last year has been Bernice Woodruff. I will miss Grandpa.

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End of an Era (Howard Tracy Hall & Ida Rose Hall Memories)

I can get quite nostalgic---especially about homes. There is something so comforting about a place you have known for a long time. I feel this way about my Grandma and Grandpa Hall's home. They have lived there all my life. They live about 3 doors from BYU. I thought I would walk around the home and take some pictures as it may not be "their" home for much longer. It is definately a place of comfort! You can see in the pictures the greenhouse my Grandpa had made for my Grandma so she could have fun with her flower love. Romance at it's best!

I have some great childhood memories of that home. My grandparents built that home, when my Mom was still a little girl, so that home has a lot of my grandparents in it. One of my memories is running around that backyard. They have a little hill I used to love to run down in that backyard. I also will miss hearing my Grandma in her stern voice tell us grandkids to stop this or that "or I will grab you by your left leg and throw you down the stairs." She had stairs that went down to the basement, and I think most of us had a fear we would end up being flung down those stairs, although it never happened, not even when my brother broke one of their windows. My Grandma would often sound gruff, but had a most loving, kind heart underneath that! I just love that she was so down to earth. As a freshman in college, I would clean her house for some hours every week. We would talk a lot and joke around. She had an incredible sense of humor---we would laugh and joke, she was a lot of fun. I have inherited her love of plants, flowers, and greenery. I always have loved that apricot tree.

My Grandfather's funeral today was the most beautiful funeral I have ever attended. The Spirit of God was there. You could feel such a spiritual presence. The talks given by my Mom, Aunt's and Uncle were beautiful, and many of my cousins did beautiful musical numbers. (OK, it's sorta' not fair that I missed out on both the musical and genius genes!) I just realize what a beautiful legacy for so many people, my grandfather and grandmother were able to create. They have quite the posterity and have done so much to make sure we have a strong foundation in the gospel of Jesus Christ. My grandfather always emitted love, but was a humble man of few words. His eyes always had a sparkle and showed great love. I feel so blessed to have had so many great men in my life---my grandfather, father, and husband. They all have the great qualities of devotion, love, humility, Christ-like love, and just plain goodness! I hope my grandparents legacy continues through future generations (and maybe the genes skipped a generation, and my kids will be brilliant and talented in the music realm......). Hopefully, it will not be "the end" of an era.

The House my Grandparents built back in the day...

Grandma's roses

Grandma's Day-lilies

Grandma's Apricot Tree


The Greenhouse for my Grandma and her orchids

The "hill" that doesn't look much like a hill now, that I used to love to run down

It's sorta' like a secret garden. From the outside, it doesn't look like much of a yard, but once you get inside, it is a beautiful, quiet, fairly private backyard.

Howard Tracy Hall (1919-2008)

Funeral Recording & Pictures from Funeral of H. Tracy Hall, Grandpa's obituary, Washington Post article, Slideshow of the funeral of H. Tracy Hall, Grandpa & Grandma Hall and their home

My Grandpa in his Navy days!

Young and In Love!

My grandparents back in the day!

Aren't they so cute?

Lovebirds

My grandparents with their seven inventions!


My Grandpa Hall died today. I am grateful that he is now reunited with my Grandma who died in 2005. My Grandpa was such an example to so many; especially to his seven children, thirty five grandchildren, and fifty three great grandchildren. My Grandpa was an accomplished inventor and scientist. However, I will most remember my grandparents for their loving marriage. They showed us all what a great marriage looks like! They adored each other and it showed.

My Grandma felt so blessed to have married a great man like my Grandpa. In my Grandma's words:

"I was quite impressed with Tracy. He was a serious student and was more mature than anyone I had dated up to that time. He was ambitious, he knew what he wanted to do in his life, and his high moral character was evident from the beginning."

"One other thing I need to say about the man I married. When I was a very young girl, all the time I was growing up, I often prayed to my Heavenly Father about the man I wanted to marry. I pled with Him to send me a good man, a man who would be strong in the Church and who would be a good father to my children. I must say that Tracy more than answered my many prayers. And at the golden age of almost 80, I still think I was the most fortunate girl in the world to marry Tracy Hall."

My Grandpa was a romantic and was great at showing his love for my Grandma (these are my Grandma's words):

My Grandma had been feeling sick. My Grandpa returned from his work at BYU.
"When he arrived home, he handed me the most beautifully wrapped package I have ever seen. It had lovely wrapping paper in browns and oranges, for the autumn season, tied with a beautiful orange bow.

"Surprise," said he, handing it to me!
"What a lovely package," I said. "What is this for?"
"Just a gift for my lovely wife," he said.

I carefully unwrapped it. It was in a box just the size to hold a new nightgown, blouse, scarf, or slip, and it was very light. My anticipation grew as I unwrapped it. When I finally got the box open with the help of Tracy and his trusty pocketknife, inside was something carefully enclosed in white tissue paper. Under the tissue paper was----guess what? A package of cinnamon bears, one of my favorite candies.

After I got through laughing, I quipped that it must have cost him more for the wrapping than for the gift. Isn't he a clever fellow?"
(My Grandma's words!)

"Another thing he once did was not actually a gift, but a romantic gesture. One Sunday when Tracy was still our ward bishop, I was sitting by myself. Tracy, of course, was on the stand with his couselors. He usually had a deacon or teacher sitting behind him who acted as a messenger for him. On this Sunday, he wrote a note, handed it to a boy, and whispered to him to deliver it. I thought nothing of it, for I was never the recipient of the note. This time, however, his messenger walked down from the stand, came to the back ofthe chapel, handed the note to the person at the end of the row I was sitting on. That person handed it to the next person, and so on, until it reached me.

When I opened the note, it said, simply, but to me eloquently, "I love you. Tracy." My cute husband!"


One Valentine's Day, after cutting down a tree in their yard, my sweet Grandpa took the time to cut some of the tree into rounds, paint them and draw a heart on them. He gave one to each of his daughters, and of course, one to my Grandma. My Grandma's read:

February 1977
Dearest Ida-Rose:
My heart wood break
If you were knot
My Valentine!
Love, Tracy

"Tracy often sent me flowers for special occasions during the years. But along the line, he built me a small greenhouse next to our vegetable garden. I ended up, after some experimentation, filling it mostly with orchids. How can a husband send flowers to a lady who has orchids---dozens of them. He found a way, though. He kept his eye out for unusual plants---orchid plants as well as others." (Grandma's words!)

"Another unusual gift was a three sided rock about the size of a lemon. On one side was printed "Service Rock," and on the second side it said, "Love, for all you do for me." And on the third side he had signed his name. The rock has a special place on my desk." (Grandma)

What a romantic man my Grandpa was!

I have 5 children. I hope my children will emulate their Great-Grandpa in the following ways:

1-Make Goals Early in Life:

"Tracy knew what he wanted to be at an early age. In the 4th grade he told his teacher he wanted to be an engineer and work for General Electric Company. While his interests changed this from "engineer" to "physical chemist" he really fulfilled his boyhood ambition when he went to work for the General Electric Research Laboratories in Schenectady, New York, in 1948."

2-Dabble in Your Interests at a Young Age (and Moms allow your children the freedom to explore their interests early on in life!):

"Tracy's favorite boyhood haunt was the city dump. Here he found a great variety of "neat junk"---wire, motors, batteries, etc. These parts scrounged from here and there, and added to by careful spending of limited funds, were used to make radios, electrical circuits, etc. Through his interest in radio came a unique knowledge of electronics--before electronics was ever taught in the univerities of the land. He has an inborn, at least I suppose it is inborn, ability to understand the "mechanical."

3-Persistance (perhaps the most important):

"Stick-to-it-iveness". "If he feels a scientific project can be logically accomplished, ...he will not give up until it is accomplished. This accounts for much of his success---if he thinks there is a solution he will go dogggedly on, long after everyone else has thrown in the sponge."

4-Confidence:

"To be a successful scientist, a man needs to have a great and unshakable confidence in his own ideas and abilities."

5-Humility:

Tracy was a "modest and self-effacing man". "People have been known to misinterpret this characteristic as "meekness" and lack of self-confidence. Some have even tried to take advantage of his easy-going nature and quiet personality only to find themselves up against a "brick wall" so to speak. He never thunders, roars or parades his sentiments---but people who know him will always come to place great value upon his opinion and ideas."

I would add the following to my Grandma's list---which also were part of my Grandpa's demeanor:

6-Spirituality:

My Grandpa was a spiritual man who "chose the right". His spirituality was seen in his day-to-day choices and actions. He not only "talked the talk" but also "walked the walk".

7-Choose Well:

My Grandpa chose a wonderful woman to marry; that he could marry in the temple. He always cherished her and showed her his love. They always showed immense respect and love for one another.

I am so grateful for my Grandpa's example and the legacy he leaves for his family. I am so grateful that he is once again with my Grandma. They were meant to be together forever.

Thanks to everyone who participated in the amazing publication of the book "Ida-Rose Langford Hall". It is an amazing book filled with quotes from my Grandma and stories of the incredible life she led. This book is such a lesson for us all to keep a record of our lives through a journal or a blog. When someone has passed away, there is nothing more precious than their words or their history. Thank goodness Grandma had so much recorded and saved from their life.

Facts from my Grandpa's life:
My Grandpa was born on October 20, 1919.
My Grandpa loved music and participated in a Jazz band. He loved Jazz.
September 24, 1941, married my Grandma in the Salt Lake Temple
In 1944, Grandpa enlisted in the Navy.
August 1948, My Grandpa received his Ph.D. at the University of Utah.
In 1954, my Grandpa invented the first "man-made" diamond.
In 1955, My Grandpa became Director of Research at BYU.
Throughout this time, my Grandpa and Grandma were also able to "invent" seven children!
In 1982-83, my grandparents served a mission in South Africa and Zimbabwe.
During his retirement, my Grandpa loved working on his farm in Payson. He sold trees and just loved to tinker on that farm that is now a Walmart.
March 7, 2005: My Grandma passed away.
July 25, 2008: My Grandpa passed away.

A great man has left this world today.
More about my Grandpa can be found HERE

The Death of our Beloved Prophet; President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008)

I am saddened by the death of our great prophet, Gordon B. Hinckley. He was an incredible man and a prophet of God. It is so comforting to know that God does have a spokesman on this earth to let the world know of God's will. I know that Gordon B. Hinckley was that mouthpiece on this earth. He had such a strong spiritual presence. Through listening to him speak, the Spirit of God was felt, and you knew this man was speaking the truth. I am grateful that God has kept this same structure on the earth that He had in ancient times as we see through the Bible. God has always appointed prophets and apostles (as seen in the Old Testament and in the times of Jesus Christ on earth.) It is comforting to know that this structure was re-established on the earth through Joseph Smith, and that God speaks to us today also through a prophet.

Here are some excerpts from an article from the Deseret News about our prophet, President Gordon B. Hinckley:

President Gordon B. Hinckley, who led The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through explosive growth during his more than 12 years as president, died at 7 p.m. today of causes incident to age, surrounded by family. He was 97.
He traveled the world during his tenure, which was marked by a number of significant milestones, including the "Proclamation to the World on the Family," construction of dozens of small temples and the creation of several new quorums of the Seventy. He called for increased fellowshipping of new converts and reaching out to other faiths. Church membership has grown from 9 million to more than 13 million members during his administration.

His ministry was characterized by a strong desire to be out among the people. He traveled more than half a million miles and spoke to hundreds of thousands of members in more than 60 nations, employing his mastery of electronic media to bring unprecedented press attention to the church.

His proposal to build small temples launched what some have termed the most ambitious temple-building program in world history. Some 122 temples are now in use and nine more have been announced, or are under construction. His goal of having at least 100 temples in use, authorized or under construction by Jan. 1, 2000, was accomplished with the dedication of the church's 100th temple in Boston on Oct. 1, 2000.

At the 171st Annual General Conference in the spring of 2001, he announced creation of the Perpetual Education Fund, a loan program to help young Latter-day Saints in Third World countries.

He then set out to visit as many church members as possible in their homelands. He continued an ambitious travel schedule throughout his stewardship, urged the members to get their houses in order and warned against pornography and maltreatment of spouses and children. The "Proclamation to the World on the Family," that he announced in September 1995 gave Latter-day Saints a ready reference for their beliefs on family life, and has been used as a model by international organizations seeking to preserve the traditional family.

Sometime soon, following President Hinckley's funeral, quorum members will sustain a new church president. If historical precedent holds, the quorum's senior apostle and president, President Monson, will succeed President Hinckley.

Standing under a larger-than-life statue of the Prophet Joseph Smith, President Hinckley said he approached the new assignment over the then-9 million-member church with "overwhelming feelings of inadequacy." Despite human concerns about such a calling, he realized "this is the work of God. He is watching over it and will direct our efforts if we are true and faithful."

A reporter asked President Hinckley: "What will be your focus? What will be the theme of your administration?"

Instinctively, he answered, "Carry on. Yes. Our theme will be to carry on the great work which has been furthered by our predecessors.

"We are particularly proud of our youth," he added later on. "I think I have never had a stronger generation of young men and women than we have today. ... They are going forward with constructive lives, nurturing themselves both intellectually and spiritually. We have no fears or doubts concerning the future of this work."

In his first address to the general membership during the 165th Annual General Conference on April 2, 1995, he urged all to move forward and become more Christlike.

"The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

"This is a time to be strong.
"It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth and the importance of our mission.
"It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow.
"It is a time to be found keeping the commandments.
"It is a season to reach out with kindness and love to those in distress and to those who are wandering in darkness and pain.
"It is a time to be considerate and good, decent and courteous toward one another in all our relationships. In other words, to become more Christlike."

He also expressed gratitude for his wife and family and brought laughter when he said, "Sister Hinckley and I are learning that the so-called golden years are laced with lead."

He continued: "But I still experience a great, almost youthful exuberance in my enthusiasm for this precious work of the Almighty.

"I love the people of the church, of all ages, of all races and of many nations."

In his closing address that afternoon, he admonished the Saints to "go forth with new energy."

Likewise, he noted, missionary service is a personal labor with the missionary teaching and bearing witness to the investigator, who must search and pray alone if he or she is to gain a knowledge of the truth.

To the young men he warned that immoral acts of any kind will introduce an ugly thread into the fabric. "Dishonesty of any kind will create a blemish. Foul and profane language will rob the pattern of beauty."

After his sustaining, President Hinckley embarked on a legendary travel schedule that took him around the globe. He was the most physically vigorous man to take the church's helm in recent history. "I spent one night in the hospital in my life," he said early in his administration. "I was past 75 when that occurred. That doesn't mean I'm ready to run a 100-yard dash."

During General Conference in April 2001, he showed a cane he was using to the congregation, saying he was using it because he had a touch of vertigo. Even so, members often wondered aloud at his stamina, which he attributed to God's blessing. He rose early, exercised daily, read several daily newspapers to stay informed, and was often asked to address various business and professional groups.

He was the first church president ever to provide wide access to the media, garnering unprecedented publicity and goodwill for the church. He met with Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush at the White House and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom — the nation's highest civilian honor — by President Bush on his 94th birthday in 2004.

A biography, "Gordon B. Hinckley: Go Forward in Faith," was released in November 1996. Another biography, "Gordon B. Hinckley — Shoulder for the Lord," was released three months earlier. "Standing for Something" was released in early 2000. "Stand A Little Taller" was released in October 2001. Another book, "Way to Be," was released in August 2002.

Walter R. Woodruff 1949-2007

The three brothers as children; Steven, Walter Ray, and Roger

3 Generations; with the three brothers

Roger, Walter Ray, and Steven with their Dad

Walter R. Woodruff with his two children; Katie and Nathan

Walter R. Woodruff, 58, of Springdale died Monday, September 3, 2007 at the Veteran's Affairs Medical Center in Fayetteville. He was born February 18, 1949 in Siloam Springs to Walter O. and Bernice Thompson Woodruff. He was employed by the VA Medical Center and served in the US Navy during the Vietnam era. Survivors include two daughters; Katie Woodruff of Rome, Georgia, and Leta Woodruff of Springdale; a son Nathan Woodruff of Springdale; two brothers; Roger Woodruff of Dallas and Steven Woodruff of Siloam Springs; his mother Bernice Woodruff of Siloam Springs; his father Walter O. Woodruff of Siloam Springs and one grandchild.

Visitation will be 5-7 pm Friday at Beard's Chapel. A memorial service will be held at 10am Saturday at the funeral home with Arnold C. Mayer officiating.

Paul H. Peterson 1941-2007

I was sad to read the obituary of this teacher I had while spending time in Israel. He taught New Testament to us as we were staying on the Sea of Galilee. Good times! I was so impressed with this teacher and his family. Such good people. He truly had a Christlike nature and did so much to inspire through his example and manner of dealing with people. It is a sad day now that he is no longer on this earth. I thought a quote of his in his obituary was well said: "If you like history and you like religion, how can you help but love Jerusalem. It is inexhaustible." The other great quote about him "All who knew him, loved him, because he loved them first." Wouldn't that be a great quote to have said about you? I don't think it gets better than this!