Otto Woodward
July 19, 1911--Sept 2, 2007
Memorial Service Audio MP3 33 min
[Note: this is an edited version of Otto's memorial service. If you would like the complete 1 hour service please send us an e-mail]

Otto Russell Woodward was born July 19, 1911 at Hawley, Minnesota, the youngest of four children. Otto grew up on a farm and graduated from Hawley High School at age 15. He attended Interstate Business College and worked for International Harvester in Fargo North Dakota.

Otto graduated with honors with a BS in electrical engineering in 1934 from North Dakota Agricultural College (now North Dakota State University.)

Engineering jobs were scarce in 1934 so Otto found a job in the office of Fargo Food and Equipment CO. and was sent to Glasgow, Montana to manage a branch office and warehouse.

On June 1st 1937 Otto married Arliene Dellage from Lignite, North Dakota. They have two children and six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.

Business Career
Otto operated a retail appliance business in Fargo for 3 years. After a move to Minneapolis in 1942, Otto taught aircraft electronics and later was the manager of the technical manual publications department for Minneapolis-Honeywell until the end of WWII.

In 1945 Otto opened a wholesale electrical supply business in Minneapolis. After 23 years he sold the business, established a charitable foundation and co-founded “Successful Living, Inc.” which distributed Christian books to the non-Christian market place. His firm was the first to place Christian book racks nation-wide in grocery stores and other retail stores.

Faith in Christ
Otto accepted Christ as his Lord and Savior in 1950. He served two years a Chairman of the Christian Business Men’s Committee in Minneapolis, was active in Christian Toastmasters Club, CBMC Gospel Team and Campus Crusade Lay Evangelism.

In 1976 Otto and Arliene moved to Leisure World (now Laguna Woods Village) in Laguna Hills (now Laguna Woods) California. Along with Bill and Anne Schaffer he and Arliene were founding members of Leisure World Christian Assembly (now the Village Church of Laguna Woods Village).

Otto lead prayer meetings and taught Bible studies in the early days of the ministry and remained a faithful member and supporter through the years.

During the last week of his life on this earth he constantly told anyone who would listen: