Picola Wood

Jul. 28, 1930 - Jun. 14, 2022

Date of Service: Jun. 21, 2022

BURLEY – Picola Grant Hatch Wood departed this life on Tuesday, June 14, 2022, surrounded by loving family while residing at the home of her daughter, Ann Harper.

Picola was born the tenth of 11 children on July 28, 1930, in Glenwoodville, Alberta, Canada, to Leo Rufus Hatch and Jemmima Grant. The family moved to West Bountiful in 1936, then to Bluffdale, Utah, in 1942, where she graduated from Jordan High School in 1948.

From a young age, she studied voice and piano from various teachers, some becoming cherished mentors to whom she remained close for many years. In 1948 she attended Brigham Young University, where she met her beloved Elden Leigh Wood while they were both rehearsing for an upcoming opera. They were married on June 6, 1949, in the Salt Lake Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Picola served in a variety of callings in the church. She was adored by the Primary children, who she taught to love music. They loved her because she first loved them. For more than 70 years, she taught piano and voice lessons to thousands of students, young and old, many at no charge. Always striving to be a better teacher, she took voice lessons privately over the years.

Following her marriage to Elden and while expecting their second baby, Picola supported her husband and family while he served for over 2 ½ years in France as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The subsequent six missions would not separate them again as they served as a family in Charleroi, Belgium; the West Indies as mission presidents; Bordeaux, France (serving in Lyon); Bern, Switzerland; Accra, Ghana, West Africa; and Halifax, Nova Scotia. They gave nearly 16 years of their lives to full-time service to the Lord worldwide. In addition, they served in the Boise Idaho and Twin Falls Idaho Temples for over 12 years.

Picola assisted Elden multiple times as the vocal and drama coach for some of the Burley High School musicals. She organized the Burley Music Festival, prepared countless student participants who won many awards and was a long-time member of local, state, and national music educator organizations. She organized hour-long programs for the Festival of Trees each year and provided music for multiple civic organizations. She was also a long-time member of a Burley book club for which she offered twice-yearly musical programs. She gave her students and family countless opportunities to learn and grow through these performances. With her husband, she was the owner of the Burley Music Store for over 25 years before selling it to Welch Music. In short, Picola’s and Elden’s musical contributions to the Mini-Cassia community simply cannot be measured. As one former student said, “Elden and Picola could have gone anywhere—they were that good. But they chose to come to little old Burley, Idaho, and gift the community with the sound of music.”

But as profound as were Picola’s and Elden’s musical gifts to the community, her greatest gift was her unconditional love for everyone she met. She exemplified a true Christian life by loving and serving the less fortunate, the downtrodden, the discouraged, and the wanderer. She was a one-of-a-kind woman. She held nothing in reserve and gave every ounce of her heart and soul to the very end. Burley, Idaho, was changed forever when she and Elden moved here in 1966 and will never be quite the same now that she has moved on to her eternal sphere of glory.

We express sincere appreciation to the expert and loving care of hospice workers from Horizon Health, members of both the Burley 7th and 3rd wards of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the unfailing tender service of her daughter, Ann Harper, who for months and years cared for Picola and Elden until their passing.

Picola is survived by her six children, Alan Roy Wood, Ann Leigh Harper (Teague), Janine Wood Green, Renée Packer (Stephen), Claire Lynne Prigmore (Steve), and Lucie Grant Gibbons (Barry); 43 grandchildren; 157 great-grandchildren; and six great-great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Elden; one grandson, Seth Teague Harper; and all ten of her siblings.

The funeral will be held at 11 a.m. Tuesday, June 21, at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Burley 7th Ward, located at 2200 Oakley Ave., in Burley, with Bishop Eric Pierce officiating. Burial will follow at Gem Memorial Gardens in Burley.

Family and friends will be received from 5 until 7 p.m. Monday, June 20, at Rasmussen-Wilson Funeral Home, 1350 E. 16th St., in Burley, and from 10 until 10:45 a.m. Tuesday, prior to the service, at the church.

A live webcast of the Funeral Service will be available and maintained at the following link: https://youtu.be/hPiEQ8LVwAw.