Thomas Wood

Thomas Beverly Wood, referred to by family as Bev and by friends as Tom, died Wednesday, April 7, 2010, at the Allen County Hospital in Iola, Kansas at the age of 90. He was born on October 23, 1919, the son of Lawrence Vivian (LV) and Gladys (Hartman) Wood the fourth of seven children on a ranch south of Norwich, KS. He graduated from Zenda Grade School and LaHarpe High School in 1939. He went to trade school at Chanute Junior College a year and worked at Boeing in Wichita before joining the Army Air Force. Tom was trained to work on P38 twin engines fighters, AT6 single engine advanced trainers and B-17 bombers. He served in the Phillipines and later in Japan where he worked on photo-reconnaisance planes. He was honorably discharged from the service in 1946, and returned to the farm to help his father. On December 19, 1947, Tom married Evelyn Coltrane in Topeka, Kansas. He went to work for Great Lakes Pipeline, working on Allison engines which they were using on their pipelines until better equipment could be added to their pumping stations. They moved to Kincaid, KS, shortly after taking this job, working at the Selma Station. In 1951, the family moved to Iola in support of pipeline construction. At the conclusion of construction work, Tom was assigned to the Great Lakes pumping station about 7 miles east of Humboldt. The family moved to Humboldt in September of 1951. Tom continued to work at the Humboldt station until 1974, as he worked his way up to becoming Area Supervisor for Williams Pipeline for the Humboldt area. Tom and Evelyn moved from Humboldt to the family farm north of Gas, KS in 1977. Evelyn preceded him in death on January 3, 2000. He was a member of the First Presbyterian Church in Iola. During his time in Humboldt, Tom served as a school board member for 16 years. After the move to the farm north of Gas, Tom served as County Commissioner for 4 years. SURVIVORS: 4 Sons: Tom Wood & wife, Joan of Winfield, KS, Tim Wood & wife, Rosann of Lenexa, KS, Kendall Wood & wife, Cheryl of Woodland Park, CO, and Kevin Wood & wife, Adela of Leawood, KS 1 Brother: Richard W. Wood of San Diego, CA 6 Grandchildren: Lisa Wood, Leslie Fulton, Joe Wood, Kristen Wood, Kelly Wood and Thomas Wood 1 Great Grandson: Hudson Fulton He was preceded in death by a brother, Joseph Henry Wood who was killed during WWII, and by four sisters, Virginia J. Albright, Dorothy A. McCoy, Muriel J. Bohrer, and Aileen F. Ballenger. VISITATION: 6:00-8:00 p.m., Friday, April 9, 2010, at the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Chapel in Iola. FUNERAL SERVICE: 1:30 p.m., Saturday, April 10, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church in Iola. The Rev. Jim Rausch will officiate. BURIAL: Highland Cemetery, Iola, KS MEMORIAL: First Presbyterian Church Memorial gifts may be left with the Waugh-Yokum & Friskel Memorial Chapel of Iola, which is in charge of arrangements. Online condolences for the family may be left on this website, www.iolafuneral.com .