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Marilyn loved to travel with her grandkids


Marilyn Jean Frazier-Woods passed away on May 27, 2019 after surgery in Overlake Hospital in Bellevue, Wash. She was born on March 25 in Mobridge by midwife. Her mother Sylvia was of Norwegian descent from Sisseton, and her father, Edward, was of Irish and French descent from Mobridge. She was preceded in birth by her siblings Wayne, George, and JoAnne.
Marilyn attended school in Mobridge and graduated from Mobridge High School in 1951. The following fall quarter she began studies at Northern State University in Aberdeen with the goal of becoming an elementary teacher. Her plans were derailed when she met her first husband, Jesse, and they later married that same year in the Mobridge First Baptist Church.
They spent several years farming near Houghton, until they moved to Aberdeen and the following year relocated to Mobridge where Jesse began plumbing. In 1957 they decided to try their luck in California where they found the traffic and congestion unbearable and decided to turn their journey into a vacation with tours of Hollywood, San Diego Zoo, Knotts Berry Farm, Tijuana, and Disneyland.
The next years were spent in Mobridge while Jesse ran a plumbing business. These years were happy ones as she spent her time raising her sons Ray and Arlen, visiting with friends and relatives, and enjoying the occasional vacation to the Black Hills or Washington state. The later years were followed by moves to Colorado and Washington.
After her first marriage of 23 years had ended, she met her current husband in 1975 in a class at Central Washington University while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. Again, her plans were derailed when she married Ron Woods. Upon Ron’s graduation they moved to Des Moines, Wash., where they both worked for the Highline School District. The next 41 years were spent in North Bend with Ron employed with the Washington State Employment office and Marilyn completing her associated of arts degree in social work at Bellevue College.
After working several years as a social worker and upon Ron’s retirement, they spent many happy years traveling in their motor home visiting various campsites through the Thousand Trails network which included taking their grandchildren on many exciting adventures.
She was extremely loyal and protective to all those around her including friends and family. Marilyn was a good mother. She was always loving, supportive, and encouraging.
Our mother can never be replaced and will surely be missed by us all.
Marilyn was preceeded in death by her sister, Joanne and brother, Wayne. She is survived by her children, Arlen James near Seattle and Ray James near Phoenix, as well as her brother George Frazier, grandchildren Jennifer James-Walker, Teddy Seybold, Heidi Smith, Candy Erickson, John Olson near Tacoma, Hanna James, and Noah James near Phoenix, and numerous great grandchildren including Aden Walker, Leon Walker, and Melody James-Morelos. Marilyn was interned at the Greenwood Cemetery in Mobridge.

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