Edith Ruth Sherwood

Edith Ruth Wolff Sherwood was born on June 15, 1938 in Lebanon, Colorado. Edith passed away September 25, 2021 in Nampa, Idaho.
Edith grew up on a farm in Colorado. She attended Lebanon School and Montezuma County High School graduating as salutatorian in 1956.
Edith met Donald Sherwood while working in a café in the Four Corners area. A year later she went to live with her Uncle Mark and Aunt Esther in New Mexico and moved with them to Midland Texas. It was while in Midland that Edith joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Don came to visit Edith in Midland and they were married on April 4, 1958. They moved to Cortez where Don worked in the oilfield. Edith worked as a telephone operator and was transferred to Farmington, New Mexico. Their children, Donna and Loid were born in New Mexico.
In 1963, Rowan Drilling Company sent Don to Alaska. Edith and the children followed and they lived for a time in Soldotna and then in Palmer. They all flew back to Farmington just before the big ‘64 Alaskan earthquake. In 1965, Don was offered another job in Alaska. They loaded up an ugly orange carry-all and drove up the Alcan Highway to Anchorage where they settled for the next 40 years.
Edith enjoyed winter activities of sledding and cross-country skiing with the children. She also went hiking, fishing and camping with the Don and the children. Edith enjoyed walking and walked daily even until the last few weeks of her earthly life. She also had a huge garden with potatoes, vegetables, raspberries and strawberries. At assisted living later in Nampa she grew tomatoes and house plants. Edith sometimes painted, sewed and knitted. Edith enjoyed family history and writing stories about growing up and living in Alaska.
Don and Edith had several foster children live with their family and in 1978 their daughter Anna came to live with them and was soon legally adopted as a permanent member of the family.
When Don retired, they purchased a motorhome and traveled 48 states and 6 provinces of Canada. Between travels, they lived in Arizona or Anchorage. At the senior park in Arizona, Edith started a genealogy group, joined a computer club and made ceramics and walked in the desert.
Due to Don’s health, Edith and Don moved to Nampa, Idaho in 2007 to be near their son Loid. Don passed away in 2008. The following year, Edith served a Church and Family History Mission in Salt Lake City for a year and continued to serve as a service missionary for many more years.
In 2010, Edith and Donna went to Hawaii, completing her goal to visit all 50 states. She found things to like in each state and was very patriotic. She worked in the polls at every election while living in Alaska and she always voted.
Edith is survived by her children, Loid (Diane) Sherwood of Nampa Idaho, Donna (Nathan) Leigh of Juneau Alaska, Anna Sherwood of Lac-du-Flambeau Wisconsin; Sister, Esther (Jim) Cook of Mancos Colorado; Brother, Wayne (MaryJune) Wolff of Montrose Colorado; her grandchildren, John (Jen) Sherwood, Amber Sherwood, Debra Sherwood and Abram Leigh; her great grandchildren, Mathew Sherwood, Ethan Sherwood, Theo Sherwood, and Seth Sherwood; several foster children including Mario Dyer and Liz Dyer; foster grandchildren, Tiffany, Tony, Andy and Sophia; and five foster great-grandchildren.
Services will be held on October 1, 2021 at the Amity church building at 2212 Amity in Nampa, Idaho at 4:00pm. Services will also be held in Cortez Colorado a few days later, with burial at the Lebanon Cemetery. The family may be contacted at sherwood2ak@yahoo.com.
Memorial contributions can be made to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Humanitarian fund. https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/humanitarian-services.