Mary Itaska Wood

Mary Itaska Boyd Hutson Wood, age 86, died February 22, 2010 at MS Baptist Medical Center in Jackson., Mississippi. She was born December 8, 1923 in Marion County, Mississippi to Dexter Ross and Demaris Annette (Nettie) Simmons Boyd. She was the youngest of nine children and born on the family farm in the Enon Community. She was a descendent of early pioneer settlers in Marion, Pike and Perry Counties. She was the great-great grandchild of Squerloquemis, a Cherokee orphan who was born in South Carolina and reared by settlers.

During the late 1940s, she and her first husband, J.T. Hutson, operated a grocery store in the Improve Community in Marion County. In the 1950s she worked in the office of the A&P Grocery in Gulfport, MS. In 1961 she and her second husband, James E. Wood, moved to Vero Beach, Florida where she lived until moving to Clinton, MS three years ago.

She was a member of Northside Baptist Church in Clinton.

She was precededin death by her husband, James E. Wood; daughter, Joan Christine Hutson; parents; brothers, Ralph, Ross, Larue (Buck), and Glynn, and sisters Pearl Toler, Maudie Iredale, Edna Earl Stringer, and Carrie Boyd.She is survived by daughter, Glynda Hutson Garriga of Gulfport, MS and sons, Jerrell Hutson (Martha) of Clinton, MS, James E. Wood, Jr. (Joy) of Oviedo, FL and Gary Lee Wood (Laura) of Vero Beach, FL. She is also survived by nine grandchildren: Tom Garriga, Barbara Boyes, Jennifer Garriga, Ellen Hutson Brewer, James E. Wood III, Marie Wood, Joshua Wood, Jacob Wood, and Gary Wood. Six great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be 11:00am Wednesday, February 24, 2010 at Wright and Ferguson Funeral Home in Clinton, MS preceded by visitation at 9:30am. Burial will be Saturday February 27, 2010 in Vero Beach, Fl. Online guestbook at www.MEM.com.