Obituary – Pearl Helen Wood

Pearl Helen Wood (Ayers), our beloved mother, grandmother & great-grandmother, passed away peacefully on July 14th, 2026 at the age of 89.

She was born to Frank & Delcie Ayers in Oakwood, Arkansas on August 8th, 1936. She & her twin brother, Earl, were the youngest of four children. She lived in Arkansas on their rural 80-acre family farm as a young girl. They raised cotton, peanuts, vegetables, cattle, and chickens. They sold their eggs for 15 cents a dozen to the local market. Her family sold their farm and moved to Farmersville, CA when she was 7 years old. As this was during World War II, they used gas rationing stamps for the long journey.

Pearl attended elementary school in Farmersville, CA and high school in Exeter, CA. Her first job was as a car hop at a drive-in in Visalia, where she delivered food on roller skates. She enjoyed dancing the jitterbug and had a lot of fun participating in dance contests with her twin brother Earl.

Pearl met her future husband, Darrell Wood, a young US Navy man, in Farmersville, CA while he was on leave. After a one-year courtship, they married in 1954. Upon Darrell’s discharge from the Navy, he was hired by the California Division of Forestry (CDF, now CAL FIRE), and was stationed at the Visalia Airport. Pearl lived onsite at the airport with Darrell and assisted with operating the emergency radio at times. They lived in Visalia during their early married years, where their daughters Sheila & Sandy were born.

In 1960, Darrell was hired as the CDF State Forest Ranger (now Battalion Chief) for the Madera/Mariposa Ranger Unit. The family moved to Coarsegold, CA for a short time while the brick residence next to the fire station in Ahwahnee was being built for the family. When the Wood children were school-aged, they walked the short distance to attend Wasuma Elementary School, which had been newly built at the time. Pearl raised her family and lived in the residence at the Ahwahnee fire station until 1980. It was in this house that Pearl sheltered Sheila & Sandy during the Harlow fire in July of 1961, while Darrell managed the firefighting effort. Their youngest child, Scott, was later welcomed to the family in 1966.

In addition to supporting Darrell during his career as Battalion Chief, Pearl volunteered in many organizations in the mountain area as she was raising her family. She was active with the Wasuma School Parents Club, the VFW Women’s Auxiliary, and she was a 4-H Leader for many years. She & Darrell were also involved in the planning and building of the Oakhurst Community Center in 1965, as the mountain community was in need of a central gathering place. She and her family looked forward to Sierra Mountaineer Days at the Community Center each year.

Pearl was very athletic and played third base on the local “Sierra Sweethearts” softball team in the 1970s. She and her daughters, Sheila & Sandy, all played together on the team and enjoyed playing local games in the mountain women’s league, as well as traveling to play other teams in the Valley. The Sierra Sweethearts team was undefeated. Pearl was known to have quite the throwing arm as a third baseman and was also a great hitter.

Pearl was also an excellent bowler and was on several bowling teams at the local Sierra Lanes bowling alley over the years, as well as a participant in many tournaments, both locally and out of state. Her high game was 290 and she regularly bowled a 700+ series. Her grandchildren enjoyed regularly seeing her name and high scores posted on the wall at Sierra Lanes.

Pearl enjoyed square dancing & danced with the Deadwood Stompers, the Mariposa 49ers & the Coarsegold Nuggets clubs over the years. She also enjoyed volunteering at Manna House. She was an excellent seamstress and made many of her children’s clothes as they were growing up, as well as her own square dance clothes and her grandchildren’s Halloween costumes.

Pearl worked several seasonal jobs over the years, including the Sullivan’s Chinchilla Fur Dressing Plant in Ahwahnee, the Wawona Hotel & Stables, and registering boats on Bass Lake for the Madera County Sheriff’s Department, among several others.

Pearl was preceded in death by her twin brother, Earl, her sister, Thelma, brother Kenneth, and her former husband, Darrell. She is survived by her daughters, Sheila Miner (Leo) & Sandy Morris (Paul), her son, Scott Wood (Cindy), as well as her grandchildren, Julie Davidson, (Todd), Jennie Miner, Jess Stanphill, Justin Stanphill, Nathan Wood, Jared Wood, Hunter Wood, Wiatt Wood and her great-grandchildren, Madeline Davidson and Joshua Davidson, as well as her brother-in-law, Roy Moore, and her niece, Phyllis Moore, (Janet).

In addition to raising her own family, Pearl was very active in helping to care for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her happiest moments were when she was spending time with her family playing games like Spoons, Yahtzee, Play Nine, and, of course—any time she was eating pie!

Our Mom, Grandma Pearl, and Nana was sweet, sassy, and one-of-a-kind. She will be greatly missed by her family and friends.

The family will be honoring Pearl privately.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Pearl’s memory be made to Manna House.