Bertha Aleene Tomlin Woodson

Bertha Aleene Tomlin Woodson was born at home in Batesville, VA on May 30, 1934, to Marshall Field Tomlin and Alma Virginia Tomlin. Mom was the third of five children and spent her early years growing up near Miller School Orchard. As the daughter of an orchardist, she loved to recount stories of riding with her dad to deliver peaches to the cold storage in Crozet and washing his hands at lunchtime when he came home to eat each day.

When Mom was in the fifth grade, her family moved to Deer Rock Orchard on Hickory Creek. There, she graduated from Schuyler High School where she met her husband, Sidney Albert Woodson, Jr., when he jokingly flipped her bus seat up, causing her to fall onto the bus floor. Mom & Dad were married on July 25, 1953 and set up housekeeping in a 3 room apartment near the railroad tracks in Rockfish, Va.

In January 1957, the couple moved into the Woodson Family Home (est. 1913). Later that same year, Mom began work at State Farm where she was employed until she stopped working to care for their daughter, Sue, soon followed by Lynn and Judy. Her nurturing instinct was not limited to her daughters; mom so enjoyed spending time with her nieces and nephews and everyone who knew her as “Dat”.

When Hurricane Camille struck Nelson County in August 1969, the Woodson home on the Rockfish River was one of the few spared. Mom & Dad were up at the break of dawn in search of missing neighbors. Our parents opened their home as a base camp of sorts to provide safety, food, shelter, and clothing to those whose homes had washed away. Mom’s resourcefulness even led her to open our pool as a makeshift laundromat during this time. No one in her home ever went without.

In 1975, once all her daughters were in high school, Mom returned to work, this time in UVA’s Department of Parking & Transportation. She retired in 1999 and set about enjoying her hobbies with Dad: Golfing and Square Dancing. One year, she surprised us all by winning the Women’s Golf Championship at Winton Country Club!

A woman of many names: Bertha, Bert, Aleene, Zilla, Mom, Dat, Fatty Hattie, Fat Dat - she was the beloved matriarch of our family. She was gentle, wise, sharp witted, patient, talented, resourceful and kind. She sewed her own & her children’s clothing, made quilts, knitted, allowed a swimming pool in the back yard (even though she never learned to swim), and constructed Habitat Houses with Dad for many years. Mom could swing a hammer, climb onto the house roof to rotate the TV antenna, and bring in firewood with the best of them. She climbed trees with her grandchildren, flew around the yard in the go cart with them driving, and allowed them access to the kitchen candy drawer which was always stocked and never off limits. Mom always had a fresh legendary Dat Cake just waiting for family and friends. She inherited her mother’s green thumb and loved to garden – canning and freezing fruits and vegetables to enjoy year-round. She was the best mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother anyone could have.

As their family grew, so did the Woodson Home, with many remodels, upgrades and additions completed by Mom and Dad over the years. Mom was most happy when she was surrounded by friends and family at her table for holidays, birthdays and other family events. She insisted on hosting Thanksgiving even when the turkey became too heavy for her to lift. Each summer, her grandchildren looked forward to “Dat Camp” where they would spend endless days in the pool, hiking around in the woods chopping down twigs with hatchets, eating Mickey Mouse pancakes, and sleeping in makeshift tents at night.

Mom was very active in her church, Rock Spring United Methodist Church, where she taught Sunday School, served as Board Chair and Finance Chair, sang in the choir, and served as custodian and church historian for many years. During each year’s Harvest Sale, mom took her job seasoning the apple butter and helping prepare & serve community meals very seriously. As Communion Steward, she got her only speeding ticket while racing to buy grape juice early one Sunday when she got caught short handed!

Mom departed this life on May 24, 2025 just one week shy of her 91st birthday. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband and two sisters, Barbara Bradshaw and Katherine Quick.

She is survived by her 3 daughters: Sue Woodson (Edward Denham), Lynn Saunders (Bennett) and Judy Chiles (Huff), 10 grandchildren: Phillip Woodson (Ellen), Sidney Witry, Sam Denham, Carey Cassasa (Brett), Marshall Saunders (Emma), Tye Saunders, Denis Saunders, Elizabeth Davis (Jordan), Ally Whitmer (Kevin), and Henry Chiles (Emily) and 8 great grandchildren. She is also survived by her sister, Shirley Sites (Ray) and brother, Marshall “Sonny” Tomlin (Jackie O’Dell) and many nieces and nephews.

The family would like to express their deepest gratitude, respect and appreciation for the women who helped care for Mom: Candace Rose, Sarah Wood, Jonna Clarkson, Cynthia West, Debbie Sites, Wendy Campbell, Keke Anderson and Lilly Rose. We were able to honor Mom’s wishes to never leave her home because of the dedicated care team’s skill, care and compassion.

Funeral Services will be held at Rock Spring United Methodist Church on Sunday, June 1, 2025 at 2 pm with reception and visitation to follow at the Faber Fire Station #2 building (a.k.a. the “Crew Hall”) adjacent to the Church.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Mom’s memory to Rock Spring United Methodist Church, 1655 Rock Spring Road, Faber, VA 22938 or Hospice of the Piedmont, 675 Peter Jefferson Parkway, Suite 300, Charlottesville, VA 22911.

Arrangements by Wells/Sheffield Funeral Chapel, Lovingston (434-263-4097).