Fern Ruth Woods, 91, passed away Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, at The Sunset House, in Toledo, Ohio. 

Fern was born on April 11, 1921, in Valier, Ill., to Esther (Nicholson) and Warren Gholson.

Fern graduated from Sesser, Illinois High School at age 16 and was the Valedictorian of her Class. At age 17, she and her Mother moved to Princeton along with her brother and sister.  She was employed by the Buterfluf Bakery and was chosen to be “Miss Buterfluf” and her picture appeared on all the Bakery’s bread wrappers.

Shortly after moving to Princeton, she met Ralph Woods and they were married on July 23, 1938. Their only child, Judith, was born in 1940. Fern begin her working career again, as a clerk at the Princeton Water Department in 1948. She then worked in the office at Sears, at the License Bureau and then for Public Service of Indiana for 25 years, before retiring in May 1981. She truly enjoyed greeting and meeting everyone who came to pay their bills, when the Public Service Office was on the Princeton square.

Fern was a devoted member of St. Mark’s EUB Church and then Hillside United Methodist Church. She held several Church offices, taught Sunday school for many years, and sang in the choir. At Hillside she was an active member of her Wesleyan Sunday School Class. She held various offices in the Golden Fleece Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and was a member of the Grand Cross of Color, International Order of the Rainbow for Girls. She enjoyed being a member of the Sunbonnet Belles Home Economics Club and a member of the GOP Ladies Club.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Judi and David Puckett of Toledo, Ohio. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Melissa (Bill) Farley of Lynchburg, Virginia, Melanie (Mark) Fisher of Novi, Michigan, Ashley (Jeff) Bieber of Cincinnati, Ohio, and David (Jennifer) Puckett Jr. of Bay Village, Ohio; her great-grandchildren Matthew (Charlotte) Farley of Bedford, Virginia, Andrew Farley of Raleigh, North Carolina, Gage, Annabelle and Katherine Fisher, Hannah, Nolan and Taylor Bieber, Allison, David III and Lilly Puckett and great-great-grandchild Liam Farley. She is also survived by her sister Betty (Robert) Hopkins of Banning, California and many nieces and nephews.

Fern was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph P. Woods, her mother, Esther Mundell, and her brother, Albert B. Keller. 

Funeral services will be at 3 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 26, 2012 at Hillside United Methodist Church in Princeton with Rev. Lisa Schubert Nowling officiating. Burial will follow in the Columbia White Church Cemetery.

Visitation will be from 1 p.m. until service time Sunday at the church. The Colvin Funeral Home is in charge of the arrangements.