Floyd Edmond Woody was born July 5, 1930 to Earl and Hazel Woody in El Dorado Springs, MO. He graduated from the El Dorado Springs High School in 1949 and following graduation began work selling cars with his Dad.
On August 6, 1951 he married Donna Vickers. In the following years they were blessed with two sons, Louis Earl and Dennis Wayne.
It was the beginning of the Korean War and on September 6, Floyd was called up for his pre-induction physicals. He joined the Air Force and reported to San Antonio, TX for basic training in late October 1951. He served two years active duty and four years in the Air Force Reserves. Upon his call to duty he purchased an 8×27 foot mobile home so that his wife could travel along beside him. They resided in mobile home parks throughout his years of service. It was during this experience that they discovered how much they enjoyed the people they met and the community atmosphere that the parks provided. This is where the desire of owning a mobile home park began.
Once transferred to the reserves Floyd and Donna relocated to their hometown of El Dorado Springs. At this time Floyd returned to selling cars with his father. In 1963 Floyd and Donna began operating their own mobile home park with just five spaces. In 1969 Floyd turned the car business over to his brother Everett. He and his wife then began their in home business, Woody Mobile Home Sales, and continued to build the park.
Floyd always had a joke or a funny story to tell. He believed that regardless how bad a situation was, if you could get people to laugh the disagreement could be resolved. A perfect example is the time a lady who lived in the park had a water leak under her house. Floyd called El Dorado Plumbing and they came to repair the waterline but were called away on another job before they completed the task,. Time passed and the rain set in and before you knew it the lady had a pond under her trailer. Needless to say she was not very happy. Floyd went looking for the plumbers and once he located them told them that he felt it was time they completed the job. When they came back Darrel went under the house to begin hooking up a sump pump to pull out the water. As he was working a huge bullfrog jumped up in his face and he jerked back hitting his head on the bottom of the house. Floyd and Norman were leaning against a truck watching as everything unraveled. Floyd began to laugh and Norman wanted to know what was so funny. Floyd said, “I was just thinking that when you started this job that bullfrog was just a tiny tadpole. After a short time, all three had a good laugh and finished the job. They are all still good friends today.
At one time there were four ladies living at the park whose first name was Hazel. Floyd told them that they were his Hazelnuts. Floyd always had a good time. He chose the epitaph to be inscribed on his head stone many years ago. It reads, Been Here, and Gone, Had a Good Time.
In 1997 Floyd and Donna sold the mobile home park that consisted of 84 acres. Floyd was taught early in life to tell the truth and if you promise to do something you do it. It was never too early or late or too hot or cold if a customer needed his help. He was always there. If there was someone in need of a helping hand, he was always first in line to lend his help. He lived by the Golden Rule. Many times when someone came by needing a part for a mobile home when they reached for the billfold he would say “no charge, you are my good deed for the day”. Floyd was a 57 year member of the American Legion, a 32nd degree Mason, Order of Eastern Star and Royal Neighbors, and served two terms on the City Council and two terms as an officer with the Missouri State Mobile Home Association.
Floyd is remembered as a loving grandfather who brought joy to his children and grandchildren. His grandchildren always enjoyed their trips to Allison’s Convenience Store for ice cream, Rick’s for a grab bag, and he would take them for endless rides under the city’s Christmas lights every year. One thing that they will always remember him for is his safety first methods. With grandpa you always tied it down so that there was no way it would fall off or out, if he told you to stay in one spot while he was working on something you better do it or else, and he always had a back up beeper on every vehicle to make sure that we knew when someone was asking up. Many times he would take his grandchildren with him on his trip to grab something from the grocery store. He would always say, “stay in the truck and if you need something or some one bothers you honk the horn and I will be right out”. It never failed that he would clear the grocery store door and his grandson Matt would start honking the horn just to see if he would come running. He always did; however he did not see near the humor that his grandchildren did.
Floyd was preceded in death by his parents, Earl and Hazel; his brother Ralph; and Ralph’s wife, Ruth.
His is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Donna; Two sons, Louis and his wife, Sue, of Mt. Vernon and Dennis and his wife, Yvonna, of El Dorado Springs, MO; three grandchildren, Amber Ogle and her husband, Wes, of Nevada, MO, Autumn Woody of Nixa, MO and Matthew Woody and his wife, Tiffany, of El Dorado Springs; two great grandchildren, Kennedy and Dillon Ogle of Nevada, MO; two brothers, Denzil and his wife, Vera, of Roswell, Georgia, and Everett and his wife, Ruth, of El Dorado Springs, MO, nieces, nephews, other relatives and many friends.
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