John L. Wood

John Lee Wood, 76, of Wood River, died Sunday, August 2nd, 2015 at CHI St Francis after a lengthy illness.

Services will be 2:00 PM Friday, August 21st at Apfel Funeral Home in Wood River with Ervin and Barbara Opp, Johns brother-in-law and his wife, conducting the service. A Celebration of Life will take place at Johns home immediately following. Johns wishes were to be cremated and interment will be at the Opp Family Plot in the Wood River cemetery at a later date, along with the ashes of his wife.

John was born September 26, 1938, at Fort Sumner, New Mexico, the seventh of nine children of Daisy Bell (Powers) and Oscar Wood. Survivors of the immediate family include his wife, Anna Mae, of Wood River; step-daughters and husbands: Susan and Jim Jordan of Pittsburgh, PA and Cheryl and Bob LaBenne of Erie, PA; daughters and a son-in-law: Julee and Donnie Dethlefs of Brule, Johnette Fortune and Jill Wood of Ogallala; son, Paul of Ogallala, a sister and her husband: Dora Bell and Rick Johnson, Van Nuys, CA, brothers-in-law and wives: Leo and Carol Opp of Hickman, E. J. (Hap) Opp of Wood River and Ervin and Barbara Opp of Weston.

Sadly, John had been estranged from his children for many years, with the exception in recent years of one grandson, Aaron. Additional survivors include four step-grandchildren, at least eight grandchildren, at least two great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews in both the Wood and the Opp families, including very special Aspen.

John spent his early childhood in New Mexico and Oklahoma, moving with his family to the Loup Valley area when he was a young teen. He attended school at North Loup and Taylor. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1958 and served at Fort Lewis, WA, with deployment to Fairbanks, AK, as a transportation assistant for a rocket launching crew. After his discharge, he was employed for many years by the Wheeler stores, including managing the Albion store. While working in the Broken Bow area, he married Mary Beth Seeger in 1962 and they later moved to Ogallala. They divorced in 1979. His career as a brake and alignment technician took him to Hastings and Grand Island. He also worked several seasons for E. J. Opp Construction and part-time at the Platt-Duetsche. Health problems forced his retirement in 2000, as an employee of Graham Tire. Also, in 2000, he married Anna Mae Real and made his home in Wood River, where he worked two summers for the City of Wood River.

John was a long-time member of the Elks and the American Legion and enjoyed collecting ball caps, playing solitaire, caring for Fritzs lawn and grilling for family and friends. Since 2007, he especially enjoyed hosting family reunions with Anna for the Wood and Lilienthal families.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers: Vernon of Grand Island, Elwin (Bud) of Boise City, OK and Allen of Stockton, CA; sisters: Clara, who died as an infant, Lena Button of Big Bend, KS, Alta May Larken of Denver CO, and Eleanor Homan of Coppers Cove, TX; nephews: Steven Homan, US Army, and Jere Wood and Dwayne Larkin, both of Denver, CO, two infant nieces, twin infant great-nephews, an infant step-great-niece and a special great-niece, Mandy Lehn.

Johns wishes were for no flowers, with memorials suggested to the family or the Castlemans Disease Foundation at www.cdcn.org