Ruth (Bozarth) Wood, 97, formerly of Carbondale, Ill., passed away Saturday, Feb. 8, 2014, at Lewis Memorial Christian Village in Springfield. Services at First United Methodist Church in Carbondale. Burial at Pleasant Grove Memorial Park in Murphysboro.

Ruth was born Aug. 9, 1916, on a farm in Mcleansboro to Charles L. and Ida J. (Miller) Bozarth. She married Eugene Wood on July 25, 1948, in McLeansboro.

At age 5, Ruth begged to go to school with her two older brothers, and the teacher allowed her to stay. When she was 8, she watched with her classmates as the Tri-State Tornado headed toward the school then abruptly turned east. She graduated from high school at age 15 as class valedictorian. She graduated from SIU-Carbondale with a major in business education and minors in history and English. Her older brother W.A. loaned her money for tuition, and she also earned money by grading papers for a professor. She later received her master's degree from the University of Illinois. That is where she met her husband, Gene, who retired in 1979 as a professor in the SIU School of Agriculture.  In 1948, after receiving her Master's Degree, she taught in the Olney High School, teaching classes in typing, shorthand and bookkeeping.

Ruth spent 33 years in education, beginning in one-room schools in southern Illinois, then moving on to teach business education in high school, including 10 years at University School in Carbondale. She then spent 20 years with SIU, retiring in 1977 as a supervisor of student teachers in the College of Education. During WWII , she and her brother, Charles, spent one summer vacation operating drill presses in a munitions plant, and Ruth spent another summer working as a civil service stenographer in San Antonio.

She loved to travel both with her husband and her sister-in-law, Virginia Webb. Ruth always loved spending time with her family. She increased her community involvement after retiring, delivering meals to senior citizens, serving as a literacy tutor, and volunteering at the hospital. She was a member of First United Methodist Church in Carbondale, where she taught Sunday School and served on many church committees. She was also a member of Jackson County Home Extension, University Women's Club, United Methodist Women, Friends of the Public Library, and professional teachers' organizations.

Ruth is survived her daughter, Barbara (Glenn) Peterson of Morrison; son, Don (Chevyoune) Wood of Springfield; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by Gene, her husband of 60 years, in January 2009, and by her brothers, W. A. Bozarth and Charles Bozarth.

Huffman Harker Walker Funeral Home, Carbondale, IL obituary