Maytha Geneva Dawson Woods

Maytha Geneva Dawson Woods was born on September 25, 1917 in Choctaw, Oklahoma and died peacefully at home in Oklahoma City on March 4, 2010 at age 92. Maytha was the youngest of six children born to Fred Dawson and Inez Lawson Dawson. After graduation from Central High School, she met and married Lloyd Eugene Woods, Sr. who remained her loving husband for 65 years, until his death in 2001. Of three children born, two survived- Lloyd Eugene, Jr., and Cheryl Sue (Woods) Barr. Maytha and Lloyd were members of University Place Christian Church for many years. They moved to Crown Heights Christian, along with many others, when University Place closed its doors. She loved her church family and was faithful to her beliefs. Her last words to Lloyd at his death almost 9 years ago were, “I’ll see you in heaven”.

Services will be held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday March 8, 2010 at Crown Heights Christian Church in Oklahoma City with interment to follow at Resthaven Cemetary in Oklahoma City. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions to the benevolent organization or your choice. Funeral arrangements handled by Hahn-Cook, Street & Draper with visitation on Sunday from 1:00-9:00 p.m. at 6600 Broadway Extension. Please visit the on-line visitor book at www.hahncookfuneral.com.

During WWII, Maytha worked as a “Rosie the Riveter” for McDonnell-Douglas aircraft manufacturer in OKC. In 1953, she began working at Woods Floral, where she remained until her retirement in 1983. She was an avid seamstress and bridge player until late in life. Cheryl remembers that bridge was so important to Maytha that “we scheduled surgeries so they wouldn’t conflict with bridge day”. She made close friendships through her bridge group that lasted even after playing became impossible for her.

She is survived by her children, Eugene Woods and Cheryl Barr, daughter-in-law Connie Woods, son-in-law Bill Barr and her nephew, Sam Dawson and his wife Pat. She had nine grandchildren: Carl, Teresa, Becki, Lori, Caroline, Danny, Debbie, Laurell and Rose; eighteen great-grandchildren: Chelsea, Brad, Emily, Sydnie, Colton, Caleb, Jessica, Kylee, Micah, Megan, Marly, Rusty, Justin, Tyler, Clay, Preston, Naomi and Ian. And, one great-great-grandchild, Zaylie as well as one expected in July.

Maytha loved her family very much. They were the most important people in her life. Children brought into the family through re-marriage were just as important to her and embraced by her. She was Grandma to all of them.

Maytha and Lloyd were Caroline’s primary babysitters. Caroline thinks that she developed her fascination with the Lawrence Welk Show and Wheel of Fortune by watching it at her grandparent’s house as a child. Grandma Woods always sewed matching clothes for Caroline and her dolls and encouraged Caroline’s, usually unsuccessful, attempts at sewing.

At the luncheon following the services on Monday, there will be biscuits with jelly served in honor of Maytha. After her last hospitalization she returned home with a feeding tube in place because she could no longer swallow safely. During a conversation with Bill she said that she wanted him to make her some biscuits with jelly. He explained to her that she couldn’t have biscuits but she was persistent, saying “c’mon let’s go in the kitchen and make some biscuits”. Bill told her again that biscuits were impossible and thought that she had forgotten about them, but when he returned to the room, she said, “did you make those biscuits yet”?

Arrangements under the direction of Hahn-Cook/Street & Draper Funeral Directors, Oklahoma City, OK.