Audrey ” Lucille” Woods

Audrey “Lucille” Woods, 88, died peacefully on Monday, March 16, 2015 at Kansas City Hospice House. Visitation will be at 10 a.m., with funeral at 11 a.m. on Friday, March 20 at Unity Temple on the Plaza.

Born on Jan. 3, 1927 in Star Township, KS to George & Fonda Wuerfele, Lucille grew up on a farm with five sisters. After graduating from Burlington High School, at barely five‐feet tall and not a hundred pounds dripping wet, this independent farm girl went to work as a “Rosie The Riveter” for Boeing in Wichita, helping to build B‐29 Bombers for the war effort.

She later graduated in 1947 from nursing school at St. Anthony’s Murdock School of Nursing in Sabetha, KS, and went to work at St Francis Hospital in Topeka, and later the VA Hospital in Topeka.
It was while there that a fireman named Carl Woods set her up on a blind date with his brother, Floyd Thomas Woods, whom she married on Sept. 2, 1949.

Later that year, they moved to Kansas City, where Lucille went to work for Menorah Medical Center, a career that would span almost 40 years as a staff Nurse, Evening Supervisor, Head Nurse, Charge Nurse in ambulatory surgery, until her retirement in 1987.

They loved to travel. Inspired by an article in Popular Science, Floyd converted an Econoline van into a camper, and they embarked on a quest to go camping in all 48 lower states, often with their son Floyd Thomas “Tom” Woods II and later, with their grandchildren. They also traveled to Mexico and several provinces in Canada. After her husband’s death on June 9, 1990, Lucille was able to complete her dream of traveling to all 50 states, taking a trip to Hawaii with her sister Alberta and, more recently, a trip to Alaska with Tom and his wife Ruth.
In addition to her husband, Lucille was preceded in death by her parents, sisters Georgie Ethel (18 months old), Mildred Stillian, Alberta Wuerfele, and step‐grandchild Brett Rodman.

Those left with loving memories include sisters Betty Rogner of Chicago, and Marguerite Meyers of Florida; step‐son Richard “Dick” Woods of Blue Springs; step‐daughter Judy Woods Bland of Blue Springs; son Floyd Thomas “Tom” Woods II (Ruth) of Kansas City; step grandchildren Stephen Rodman, Darren Rodman (Rebecca), Heather Rodman Putman (Shad), Kenny Woods (Hayat), and Marc Woods; 10 great‐grandchildren, 7 great‐great grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and special lifelong friend Vivian Witt. As Lucille considered anyone who was once family to always be family, former spouses Maureen Woods, Darrell Rodman and Tammy Nugent Foxworthy are also included among those who mourn her loss.

Lucille was a colorful story teller, who often reminisced about her days of growing up on the farm, as well as her career and most of all, her family, who were the most important treasures of her world.