Ann Wood

Ann Love Wood, age 92, formerly of Wausau, WI, passed away on Friday, August 15, 2025, surrounded by her family and friends.

Services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Herman-Taylor Funeral Home in Wisconsin Rapids. Pastor Steve Stork will officiate. Burial will be at Port Edwards Cemetery. Visitation will be from 12:00 p.m. until the time of services on Saturday at the funeral home.

Ann was born on June 17, 1933, in Fall River, Wisconsin, to Frank Matthew and Jane (Love) Baxandall. Her family later moved to Midland, Michigan, where she graduated from High School. Following high school, she attended Ripon College, where she met her husband, Elden Orestus Wood Jr. They were married on April 16, 1955. He passed away on November 11, 2007.

At the age of ten, Ann was struck with rheumatic fever and moved to Arizona for several years as she recovered. While in Arizona, she found her beloved horse, Beauty, and spent much of her time exploring the desert and creating stories she would later share with family and friends.

Throughout her life, Ann enjoyed everything to do with animals and the outdoors. Some of her favorite activities included horseback riding, hiking to waterfalls and lighthouses, sailing, visiting the Great Lakes, cross-country skiing, Kayaking, camping, and traveling to Alaska.
When not outdoors, she pursued many artistic endeavors. As a young adult, she created detailed costumes for community theater and high school productions, altered clothing for others, and designed outfits for her children’s activities. Her love of sewing grew into the art of quilt-making, where she not only created beautiful pieces but also taught many classes and workshops. Her other creative pursuits included nature photography, drawing, painting, puzzling, and many more. She shared these passions with her 14 grandchildren through special trips she took with each of them.

Ann is survived by her daughters: Kathleen (Dean) Breunig, Julia Newman, Rebecca (Sam) Gullickson, and Aimee (Tony) Pintens; 14 grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Elden (Al) Wood Jr.; brothers: William and John Baxandall; son-in-law Karel Newman.

The family would like to thank the amazing staff of Nekoosa Court and St. Croix Hospice who took such loving and compassionate care of our “small but mighty” mother.

In lieu of flowers, our mother would like the memorials to go to either the Marathon County or the Southwood County Humane Centers.