Zerlene Woodward

Zerlene Woodward, 88, of Northwood, ND, passed away Sunday, April 5, 2026, at Northwood Deaconess Health Center in Northwood. A memorial service will be held Monday, April 13, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at the Bilden-Askew Funeral Home in Northwood. A visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. until the time of the service at the funeral home.

Zerlene Curtis was born May 9, 1937. She grew up in Kansas and graduated high school there. On November 29, 1959, Zerlene married Donald Woodward in Wellington, Kansas.

Zerlene worked in the food service industry, starting with the GF Public Schools lunch program, then the Ramada Inn for over 16 years, and finally in the kitchen at NDHC. She made lots of friends along the way.

Zerlene was an avid quilter and loved needle crafting. She enjoyed making quilts for family members and friends, lap quilts for residents of NDHC and making outfits for her three girls growing up. She learned the art of ceramics and had a teacher’s certification to teach ceramics along with two of her own kilns and molds. Don fixed up her own little shop in the basement of her house, where friends and family would come to create and paint their own projects. Zerlene also taught Sunday School when her girls were young.

Zerlene was a member of two bowling leagues. She made many friends who also loved to bowl. She also loved to attend rummage sales on weekends, sit out and watch the birds, and admire all her flowers she would plant.

Zerlene and Don loved to travel. Her favorite travel destination was Las Vegas, where she and Don would go for dining, shows, seeing the sights along the Strip and of course a little gambling.

A genealogy revealed that she was a direct descendant of the Vice President of the United States, Charles Curtis, who served under President Herbert Hoover.

Survivors include her husband, Donald Woodward; daughters: Bambi Woodward; Dona (John) Thorsgard; Jill (Nathan) Fisher; grandchildren: Shannon, Keith, Knute, Adam, Alex and Drake; great-grandchildren: Sofie, Morgan, Gracie, Natalie, Isaac, Sadie, Brock, Kennedy, Graham, Asher, and Nora; Zerlene is also survived by one special cousin, Robert “Dud” Curtis.

She is preceded in death by her mother, Aletha Curtis; father, Emmette Curtis; one sister, two brothers, and grandson, Jesse.