Janet Woodbury

WOODBURY, HOFMAN, HARDSOCG, REED, WORMHOUDT

Posted By: Mary (email)
Date: 6/27/2007 at 08:58:30

Janet Hoffman Woodbury, 91, Ottumwa
Ottumwa Courier

OTTUMWA — Janet Hofmann Woodbury, wife of the late Dick Hofmann, former Ottumwa Mayor and owner of Hofmann Drug and the Hofmann Building, passed into a new life early Sunday morning on June 17th. For the past seven years she had been a resident of Schmitt Woodland Hills, Richland Center, Wis. home of her daughter, Julie Hofmann Ward. Julie was at her bedside at the time of her departure to be with the Lord.

Janet was born on July 9th, 1915 to Lester and Louise Hardsocg and graduated from Ottumwa High School in 1933. She graduated cum laude in 1937 from Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, Ill. She spent a short time working in Chicago and returned to Ottumwa to marry Richard M. (Dick) Hofmann on May 4, 1940.

Her great passions in life were her husband, Dick, her family, her beloved Trinity Episcopal Church and her life in Ottumwa. She served her church in several ways and was the first woman elected to the church Vestry. She also served as member and Director of the church Altar Guild for more than 35 years. Janet was a member and past President of Fortnightly Club, PEO, and the former Silver Cross Circle of King’s Daughters and a member of the Ottumwa Hospital Auxiliary.

She loved being a homemaker and took pride in having an orderly household for her husband and children. Gardening and flower arranging were hobbies and she took great pride in the many flower beds which surrounded her home at 148 W. Alta Vista. Her love of gardening was passed on to her by her father, the late Lester C. Hardsocg.

Her life was filled with a wonderful group of friends, many of whom were native Ottumwans back in the days when people returned home following school to join the family businesses. It was an active social life with music being at the center of many gatherings. Often Dick Hofmann, Bob Dodd and Lloyd Gugle played the piano with Bob McCune playing trumpet and the rest of the group singing the wonderful songs of their era. Who could forget the deep base voice of Jack Wormhoudt and Wilson Wolfe’s foghorn voice? George Reed would do a little soft shoe and Janet would move out of her comfort zone and play the gut bucket; special people, Happy Days.

For much of her life, Janet served the needs of aging relatives and took wonderful care of Dick Hofmann for ten years following his disabling heart condition. Their happy life together ended on June 14, 1983 with his death. A couple of years later Dick Woodbury, a former Ottumwan came into her life and they were married until his passing in 1999.

Survivors include son, John and wife, Mary of Green Bay, Wis.; daughter, Julie and husband, Frank Ward, Richland Center, Wis.; grandchildren, Alex Hofmann (Rachael), Alexandria, Va., Chris Hofmann (Kathy), Oregon, Wis., Emily Hofmann Kordus (Bill), Neenah, Wis., Jeff Ward (Susan), Eden Prairie, Minn., Dana Ward DeBoer (Mike), Brooklyn Center, Minn. and five great-grandchildren and twins on the way; nieces, Judy Hofmann Richter of Bedford, N.Y.; and Carol Hofmann Thompson, Colts Neck, N.J. She is also survived by Ann Sullivan (Tim), daughter of Dick Woodbury and their son Tom, Edina, Minn.

Visitation will be on Friday, June 29 from 9 to 11 a.m. at Trinity Episcopal Church in Ottumwa, Iowa with a Memorial service beginning at 11 a.m. followed by a luncheon.

There will be a private family burial service at Ottumwa Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be sent to: Trinity Episcopal Church, 204 E. Fifth St., Ottumwa, Iowa 52501.