Nova L. Zada Jones Wood, passed away at 5:30 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4, 2007, in the Pavilion Care Facility in Sidney.
She was born in Ritner, Ky., on Aug. 8, 1921, a daughter of the late Gilson Pearson and Rachel Elizabeth Worley Jones. On July 5, 1945, she married Alfred Earl Wood in Sidney and he died April 4, 1995.
Survivors include her daughter and son-in-law, Judith Irene (Ronnie) Helmlinger of DeGraff; her son and daughter-in-law, Charles Alfred (Deborah) Wood of Quincy; and her daughter Pamela Kay Wood of Quincy; two grandsons, Brett and Trent Helmlinger of DeGraff; Nikki Blair of Pemberton; Heather Wood of Bellefontaine; and Holly Neal of Kentucky; 11 great-grandchildren and two great-stepgrandchildren.
Surviving sisters are Lora (Marvin) Maxwell of Whitley City, Ky., Nina (Walter) Cotterman of Sidney, Ava (Carl) Wood of DeGraff; sister and brother- in-law, Lela and George Tucker of Monticello, Ky.; and brother, Paul Jones of Sidney. Her brother, Silas (Paul’s twin) died in 1982 in Whitley City. Surviving also are sisters-in-law, Elanora (Silas) Jones of Whitley City; Edith (Thomas) Foster of DeGraff; and Donna (Eugene) Scherer of Bellefontaine.
A dear sister-inlaw and brother-in-law, Mary Jane and Harry Hughes preceded her in death. Other deceased brothers and sisters from Kentucky were Richard, Monroe, Celia Bell, Bessie, Isaac, James, Nannie, Eliza and Levada.
Surviving from the large wonderful family are many, many loving nieces and nephews in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky.
She ventured with brother James from Kentucky to Sidney in the late 1930s where she worked at Copeland Refrigeration Corporation until 1956. She and her husband lived in the DeGraff and Quincy area since 1947 and attended the Quincy Chapel Church of Christ in Christian Union.
During the last several years of her life, she had lived in the Pavilion in Sidney, Green Hills Inn and Green Hills Care Center in West Liberty, making many new friends. Her love and compassionate care for her family and friends was evident as she hosted and attended events with children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. She loved to travel, especially to Kentucky to visit her relatives there.
Calling hours are from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at Rexer-Riggin-Madden Funeral Home, DeGraff, where a funeral begins at 11 a.m. Thursday, with her nephew, Lenville Maxwell of Whitley City, performing the service.
Burial follows in Greenwood-Union Cemetery, DeGraff . Immediately after burial, the children will welcome family and friends at a dinner to celebrate and reminisce the life of their loving mother in the basement of Boggs Lodge along north Main Street in DeGraff.
Memorial gifts may be made to the care facilities where she resided and a hospice group of the donors’ choices.
