Delores "Dee" Woods

Delores Ann Woods

Delores “Dee” Woods was born on February 9, 1945, to Clarence and Mabel Larson in Toronto, South Dakota. She was the third of their four children.

In 1967, shortly before Earnest “Ernie” Woods was deployed to serve in the Vietnam War, Dee and Ernie were married. Together, they raised two children, Dawn and Ernie Jr. Dee was devoted to raising her children, staying home with them until they reached middle school. She then took a job in the school cafeteria, choosing hours and vacations that allowed her to be home when her children were home. She later moved into kitchen work at 3M before becoming a receptionist there.

Dee shared a deep commitment to honoring veterans and was actively involved in organizations including the Military Order of the Purple Heart Auxiliary and the American Legion Auxiliary. She held numerous leadership positions within those organizations and frequently traveled with her husband to national conventions.

In 2005, following their retirement from long and successful careers at 3M, Dee and Ernie relocated to Texas.

In her later years, Dee found deep purpose and joy in her community. She cherished her neighbors and remained active in Emory Methodist Church, Lake Country Neighbors, and Friends of the Library. Dee and Ernie shared 58 years of marriage until his passing in 2024.

She is survived by her daughter, Dawn; her nieces, Brenda Hazledine-Greeninger, Linda Quaife, and Marie Smith; her Texas nephews, Russ, Scott, Paul, and Robbie Beightol; and many other nieces and nephews in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Alaska.

Dee will be laid to rest in Minnesota beside her husband and her son, Ernie Jr.