James Norman Woodruff, Jr. (1931-2010)

WOODRUFF, SHEARER, CHAPMAN, WINGATE, WYANT, WHITE, DOSHIEL, WINGATE

Posted By: Mark Christian
Date: 7/2/2010 at 09:24:09

THE STORY CITY HERALD, Story City, Story County, Iowa, Wednesday, June 9, 2010.

James Norman Woodruff, Jr., 78, of Gerald, Missouri, died Sunday, April 25, 2010 at Frene Valley Healthcare South in Owensville, Missouri.

James was born in Des Moines, Iowa Dec. 5, 1931, to the late Mildred (Shearer) and James N. Woodruff, Sr. On Aug. 26, 1954, he was united in marriage to Bonnie Chapman in Beloit, Kansas. He served his country with the U.S. Army receiving the Korean Service Medal, Bronze Service Star, United Nations Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal, and Good Conduct Medal. He was a member of the VFW Post in Union, Missouri, First Presbyterian Church in Union and was an active volunteer for the Senior Center in Gerald.

Jim sang in many choirs, both in the community and in churches. He spent time building computers and putting sound systems in the churches where he worshipped. Tractors were also an interest of Jim's.

He was preceded in death by brothers-in-law, Hugh Wingate and Lyle Wyant.

His survivors include his wife, Bonnie; son, David Woodruff and wife Karen of Little Rock, Arkansas; daughter, Barbara White and husband Derek of Washington, D.C.; sisters, Beryl Wyant of Knoxville, Tennessee and Dorothy DoShiel and husband Noble of Stockon, California; sister-in-law, Janet Wingate and husband John Gay of Denver, Colorado; brother-in-law, Dean Chapman and wife Virginia of Westminister, California; and grandson, Shawn White of Phoenix, Arizona.

A memorial service was held on Thursday, April 29 at First Presbyterian Church in Union with Pastor Linda Maconochie officiating.

Memorials may be made to First Presbyterian Church, 105 E. Main St., Union, MO 63084.

Jim's parents owned and operated a shoe repair shop in Story City which was located where the Helland TV Repair shop used to be and is now the Bertha Bartlett Library. They lived in Story-City from about 1932 to 1948 and then moved to Nevada, Iowa where Jim graduated from high school in 1949. Jim's wife, Bonnie, taught grade school in Story City and that's how they met when Jim was finishing up his engineering degree from Iowa State.