Click here to send an electronic condolence message to the Family 

Obituaries

 

     N. Modene (Steely) "Nana" Woods was born on November 27, 1913 in Akins, OK. She celebrated the first day of eternity and her best Father's Day on Sunday, June 21, 2015 when she joined parents, Francis Marion and Josie (Spencer) Steely; brother Eugene and sisters, Edith, Herma, and Nina; husband, William Henry Woods; two daughters, Margaret Helen James and JoEllen Armstrong Fletcher; and two sons, Robert A. Armstrong and Bobby Gene Fletcher in heaven.

Nana leaves those who miss her: one sister, Emma Lou (Steely) Tiffany of Oklahoma City; son William Kenneth James; daughter and son, Frances "Fran" Marie (Woods) and Nelson Odell Bewley, and "chosen" daughter, Addie Mae Griffin; six grandchildren, Bill and Rhonda (Long) James, Mark and Brandi Harp-James, and Jeff and Robbi (Bewley) Martin, all of Sallisaw; eleven great grandchildren David and Tricia Stubbs of Carrolton, TX, Brad and Marcinda Myers of Wichita, KS, Kenny and Andrea Knight of Sallisaw, Robert and Jackie James of Little Elm, TX, Nicole James of Lake Charles, LA, and twins Rider and Josie Martin of Sallisaw; seven great great grandchildren twins Alex and Autumn Stubbs, Kassidy Myers, Haley Myers, Zurri Knight, Kaden James and Austen James; Miss Ellie Long and Addie Long and several cousins, nieces and nephews.

She was saved at First Baptist Church in April 1929 at the age of 15 and was baptized the following week in Sallisaw Creek. Nana never drove a car after one lesson with Pops, but she rode a horse from Badger Lee to Sallisaw High School even in the ice and snow. She boarded in town for a semester with Wheeler and Florence Mayo because Pa Steely insisted "no more riding a horse to school!" Her junior year Sallisaw Public Schools got their first two school buses! Having to quit school for medical reasons, Nana graduated on April 26, 1933...a little early that year because the school district ran out of money.

She married the love of her life, Henry, on June 30, 1934 in the home of Reverend W. E. Rockett, pastor of Sallisaw First Baptist Church. Nana loved her church. She and Pops felt called to serve by teaching Sunday School and holding various other positions even arriving early to start the log fire in the stove for heat. They never missed Sunday School or church, morning, night or Wednesday night unless they were ill. Nana and Pops joined Immanuel Baptist Church in June 1978. Nana lived with the belief that the Lord does all things well.

She began every day with a cup of coffee, a scrambled egg, a piece of toast, her daily Bible reading and the crossword puzzle from the FT Smith newspaper. In later life coffee was replaced by DR Pepper! Nana loved to iron, work jigsaw puzzles, tend to her flower garden, watch birds, and play solitaire on her iPad. She was an avid reader; Nana read three to five books per week during the twenty years that she kept a list. That was the only way her daughters made sure that they didn't check out one she had already read.

Nana also loved watching University of Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and OU football and basketball on TV. Cheering for all three schools kept peace with the grandkids! She was a proud Black Diamond! If you needed a score or the weather from the past, Nana could look it up in one of her eighteen diaries.

She loved her family and refused to use the term "in laws." However, if Nana thought she needed to take sides, she giggled and always took the position of the sons-in-law. Nana relied on her diaries and two books, the King James Version of the Bible, and the dictionary to settle any disagreement. If a discussion couldn't be settled with one of those, the subject in question wasn't important enough to consider.

Nana's dark brown eyes had a special twinkle when you asked her about her children. But if you had time, she always had some stories of accomplishment that her grandkids, great grands, or great, great grands had just achieved! Nana's family and friends enjoyed 101 years, six months, and 25 days of biblical truths, determination, faith, fellowship, hope, laughter, and unconditional love. She often spoke of what she had seen in her earthly journey and the importance of education.

Nana will be remembered as a virtuous woman, loving wife, devoted mother and grandmother, loyal sister, faithful friend and Aunt Bean to her nieces and nephews! Nana and Pops loved children and youth and was called Nana and Pops by three generations.

She loved and appreciated her doctors Bert Corley, Stephen Manus, and Bennie Frank Cheek; FBC Caring Hearts; Ann Farmer's gifts of flowers; home health nurses; Immanual Baptist Church; Josie Johnson, Pat Harper, Denise Ballew's sharing books; staff of Sequoyah Manor; and her Sunday School teachers, Mae Cunningham and Elizabeth Burnsed. They are all truly angels of mercy.

The saddest day of her life was January 7, 1999 when her partner of sixty-four years passed away. Nana hugged Pops as he said, "I love you," closed his eyes and went to be with the Lord. She continued to pray, "Thank you, Lord, for always caring for me, my family, and for my church." On June 21, she closed her eyes for the last time here on earth surrounded by family and friends and opened them for the first time in heaven surrounded by family, friends and her personal savior Jesus Christ.


Funeral services will be Wednesday, June 24, 2015 at 10 am at Agent Mallory Martin Chapel. Burial will be at Sallisaw City Cemetery under the direction of Agent Mallory Martin Funeral Home in Sallisaw.

Active Pallbearers are Rick Agent, Leroy Hensley, Harry Roth, Bill Weedon, Jeremy Weedon and Dr. Jim Wells

........ Powered by SitesAreUs.com