Jo Iva Hood

Jo Iva Hood, 87 years old, was born on August 23, 1933, in Cherryvale, Kansas. Her parents were Arthur D. Powell and Ida Powell. On November 29th of 1952, she married T Waymon Hood. They were married 67 years until his death in 2019. She is survived by her four children, Robin J Geib, Thomas (Tom) Hood (sp. Sheila), Becky Judkins (sp. Jud), and Arthur Hood. She is also survived by her sister Arlene Hanna and sister-in-law Lana Hood. She also has five living grandchildren Jared, Josh, JD, Elysia, and Shyanne. She also had One Great-grandson, Logan. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and one grandson Myles Wade.

Jo devoted her life to her four children and the many children’s lives she touched in her 35 plus years as a teacher. She and her husband both were dedicated teachers and put the welfare of the kids they taught as the highest priority. One of Jo Iva’s fondest memories was of being the first kindergarten teacher at Marysville CA school system as her first big assignment as a teacher while her husband served in Korea. They went on to teach in various positions and schools including teaching school on the Navajo Indian Reservation. They both obtained their master’s in Special Education and shifted their passion and great love of teaching to the facilitation of working with kids who were overcome with learning disabilities. After retirement from California school systems, they retired to Spring, Texas in 1991, where after a few years they became substitute teachers for the Klein Independent School District. They were in great demand and Jo ended up taking some long-term assignments for teachers who were out on various medical leaves. They won awards for their work.

They were dedicated to their church family and were very active right up to her husband’s death in 2019. Recently, Jo Iva joined the Mims Baptist Church in Conroe with her daughter Robin.

Jo enjoyed people and never met a stranger. She was happy and made others around her happy. She liked to show off her dance moves, she was a very good tap dancer and liked to teach anyone who wanted to learn a few moves. She had learned to dance when she was young and did performances along with her sister Arlene who was also very gifted.

She had a big heart and worried about anyone who had a need and acted on what she thought she could help with. If someone lost their house in a fire, she and Waymon, as she called her husband in later years, got the travel trailer they kept at the beach and brought it over so the family could use it until they could work something out. They would go and get staple goods from a grocery store to put out for anyone to come and get at their church, if someone needed a wheelchair and she had it, she would let them have it. She never worried about not having what she and her family needed as her faith drove her and she knew that Lord would provide.

There certainly are many who experienced the generosity of spirit that Jo and Waymon exuded.

God Bless and God Speed.