Elise Wood

CLICK HERE TO WATCH LIVESTREAM

Elise Wood, 88, of Sarasota, FL and Sioux Center, IA died on Friday, September 11, 2026, at her home in Sioux Center.

The Wood family will receive friends from 1:00 PM, Tuesday, September 15th at the Memorial Funeral Home of Sioux Center.

The funeral service will be at 2:00 PM, Tuesday, September 15th at Memorial Funeral Home, with Reverend Duane Tinklenberg officiating.

Burial will be at Sunnyside Cemetery in Lake Mills, IA.

Memorials may be directed to any Christian Charity.

Elise Cecile Wood was born October 6, 1937, to Jacob and Ruth (Henderson) Grimstead in Lake Mills, Iowa. She graduated from Lake Mills High School before a year of college at Luther College. She later graduated from the Swedish Hospital School of Nursing.

On February 1, 1969, Elise was joined in marriage to William Boyd Wood at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills. The couple moved to San Diego, California where Elise continued her work for the U.S. Public Health Services as a research nurse. They later moved to Oakland, California for a few years before living in Lexington, Kentucky. While in Kentucky, the couple were blessed with their first child. Five more children were added to the family after they moved to Mankato, Minnesota followed by time in Minnetonka, Minnesota.

For the last few years, Elise and Bill have wintered in Sarasota, Florida and spent the summer months in Sioux Center, Iowa. She was a regular attender at Covenant Life Presbyterian Church in Sarasota. She was active as a Bible study leader, member of Moms in Prayer as well as homeschooling off and on over the years. Her family and faith were central to her life.

Elise loved music and playing piano. She loved attending the symphony and enjoyed clogging. She was patriotic and involved politically over the years. She and Bill spent much of their free time traveling. She loved the ocean, lakes, and going on cruises.

She is survived by her husband, Bill Wood; six children: Kristin (Jeffrey) Genser; Katie (Kent) Roos; Kaaren (Todd) Swenson; Jon Wood; Karolyn (Aaron) Perkins; Juli (Ben) Thompson; grandchildren: Nick, Josh, Ethan, Natalie, Cole, and Brianna Genser, Clara, Ellie, Kailyn, and Nathan Roos, Karsten, Caedmon, Trygve and Tristan Swenson, Owen, Emmett, Marshall, and Kinsley Perkins and Callum, Noelle, and Jude Thompson. She is also survived by her sister, Judy Bakke and children: Ed, Lisa, and Erik Bakke.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Jacob and Ruth Grimstead.