Barbara Jean Wood, age 84, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, loving wife, mother and grandmother, passed away Monday, January 9, 2023, surrounded by her family at Guest Home Estates where she was in hospice care. She was born September 4, 1938, at Ft. Scott Mercy Hospital, the daughter of Herschel L. Wilcher and Ruth Pigg Wilcher. Barbara attended rural schools and graduated from the Ft. Scott High School and Ft. Scott Community College. She married Ronald Wood on April 7, 1957, at the Cherry Grove Baptist Church. They began their life together in Kansas City where she worked as a teletype operator for AT&T. They returned to Ft. Scott in 1960, and Barbara worked at Southwestern Bell until the local office converted to dial and closed.
She was the secretary for Bourbon County Farm Bureau and then worked for Diehl, Fletcher, Banwart, Bolton. She served as Bourbon County Clerk for twenty years retiring in 2000. After retirement, she served a term as Ft. Scott City Commissioner. While serving as County Clerk, she was active in the Kansas Association of Elected Officials where she served on the Board and as State President. She was a member of the Eastern Star, had been a Den Mother for the Cub Scouts and served on the Ft. Scott Public Library Board. She was an avid quilter, attending many fairs and shows where she won several competitions. She estimated that she had made over two hundred quilts and had given many of them to family and friends. Barbara was an active member of the First United Methodist Church in Ft. Scott and served in many leadership roles, including that of teaching children’s Sunday School.
Barbara is survived by her husband, Ron, of the home; two sons, Steve Wood and wife, Cathy of Camdenton, Missouri, Brian Wood and wife, Marcia of Wichita, Kansas and a daughter, Angela Cutbill and husband, David of Agoura Hills, California; three grandsons, Adam Wood, of Baltimore, Maryland, Warner Cutbill and Elliot Cutbill, both of Oxnard, California; two granddaughters, Clara Cutbill of Agoura Hills, California and Theresa Wood of Wichita, Kansas. Also surviving are a sister, Joan Curry of Merrillville, Indiana; several nieces, three cousins and many friends. Sue Jones, a cousin, was a very special friend. Barbara was preceded in death by her parents. Ron and Barbara had over sixty-five years together.
Rev. Christopher Eshelman will conduct funeral services at 10:00 A.M. Thursday, January 12th at the First United Methodist Church. Burial will follow in the U. S. National Cemetery. The family will receive friends from5:30 to 7:00 Wednesday evening at the Cheney Witt Chapel. Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS 66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com
