Omeda (Woods) Holbrook

Omeda Woods Holbrook peacefully closed her eyes to open them in the presence of her Lord and Savior on April 26, 2019.  She was born to Eva Candice Fannin Woods and Clarence C. Woods on June 1, 1922, in Viper, KY. She graduated from Carr Creek High School in Knott County, KY in 1941.

Upon graduating from high school, Omeda attended Lee’s Junior College for two years. She taught school one year at Bad Creek on Greasy Creek in Harlan County in 1941. During World War II, she worked at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH, in the production and planning office.  After the war, she taught in a one-room school at Lewis’ Creek in Harlan County.

She received her BS and Masters Degrees at Union College during the summer while continuing to teach school.  She taught at Cawood Elementary School for one year, and at Green Hills Elementary School, serving as principal for a couple of those years, and finished her tenure at Green Hills Elementary School.

Upon retirement, Omeda continued to work with students in a gifted and talented program at Hall Elementary School and tutored at Green Hills Elementary School for a few years. Her total teaching career was forty plus years.

Omeda married Walden Holbrook of Harlan County, November 20,1943.  They were married nearly 60 years and had two children, Jimmy and Joy, born November 23, 1949. They also had a “special niece,” Georgiana (Lonnie Milwee). She and Walden were members of the Poor Fork Church of Christ at Rosspoint, KY.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Eva and Clarence Woods; sisters, Olene Bailey and Oleta Morgan; a brother, Denzil Woods; her husband, Walden Holbrook; and her son, Jimmy Raymond Holbrook, Sr.

Omeda is survived by her daughter, Joy Holbrook (Jeff Sharp) of Knoxville, TN; grandchildren, Renae (Charley Cole) of Lexington, KY; Jimmy R. Holbrook Jr. of Harlan, KY; Melissa Kay Holbrook Witt of Harlan, KY; great grandchildren, Kaleigh and Kelsey Holbrook of Bardstown, KY; Alli and Abbie Witt of Harlan, KY; and Walden and Hudson Cole of Lexington, KY; sisters Kathleen Potts and Opalene Roark of Louisville, KY; brothers, Clarence O. Woods of Warner Robins, GA; and Darrell Woods of Louisville, KY.   She is also survived by a host of nephews, nieces, great nephews, great nieces, many friends, and she will be dearly missed.

Funeral services will be Tuesday, April 30th at 6 o’clock in the Chapel of Henson & Rich Funeral Home with Rev. Donnie Adkisson officiating. Musical selections will be by Seth Carmical and Lonnie Milwee. Burial will follow at 12 noon on Wednesday, May 1st  at Holbrook Cemetery at Bledsoe, KY with John Houston Morgan, Donald Ray Morgan, Charley Cole, Donald Holbrook, Jimmy Raymond Holbrook, Jr., Jack Holbrook, Milburn Holbrook, Jr., and Jeff Sharp serving as pallbearers.

Visitation will also be on Tuesday from 4PM until the funeral hour.

Funeral services under the direction of Henson & Rich Funeral Home.

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