Michelle Holman Woodland

Michelle was born on January, 27, 1943 in Mesa, Arizona, to Albert Rider Holman and Lavina Norman Holman. The Holmans moved their family to Pocatello soon after, where Michelle was raised along with her five siblings.

Michelle was a very cheerful, energetic child. She was fearless and taught herself to do flips and to walk on her hands. She could out-headstand anyone, and in later years, won several headstand contests with her grandchildren. In Junior High at Alameda, she participated on the tumbling team, the Drill team, and the Cheerleading team. She also loved to sing and began performing duets with her twin sister at the age of three. She continued to be in demand as a vocalist throughout her life. She taught private voice lessons, including teaching several of her children and grandchildren.

Michelle attended Pocatello High School, graduating in 1961. While in High School, she was involved in Drama and Gate City Singers. She attended Ricks College, Brigham Young University, and Idaho State University, before serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was called to the West Mexican Mission, where she learned to speak Spanish, serving from 1964-1966.

After her mission, Michelle began dating William Henry Woodland. They were married on November 23, 1966 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They moved to Utah, where Bill attended law school and Michelle began her career as a full-time mother. They eventually had seven children. The family returned to Pocatello, Idaho in 1976, where Bill worked as lawyer and then as a District Judge, and Michelle continued to teach and strengthen her children.

In her spare time, Michelle used her creative talents to design and build and decorate several homes, along with her husband. While attending an interior design class at ISU, her design to redecorate the recently purchased Alumni House near the campus was accepted and implemented. Other interests included taking bike trips with her husband, cross country skiing, and spending time at the cabin in Lava, also designed and built by Michelle and Bill. You could often see Michelle driving her Volkswagen Beetle, "Ocho", or her electric Fiat 500, or riding in her horse-drawn wagon pulled by draft horse, Snap.

Michelle found joy in serving as a temple worker in the Idaho Falls temple, beginning in 1988, and continuing until the recent restrictions for Covid temporarily closed the temple. She looked forward to the opening of the Pocatello Temple. She also had opportunity to serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints as a choir director, primary teacher, Relief Society teacher, family history consultant, and Relief Society President. Most recently, she was serving as a primary teacher in the Pocatello, Spanish Ward.

Michelle's greatest joy was her family. She gave her life in service to her children, and centered her efforts on teaching and preparing them to make good choices. She continued to serve and strengthen her grandchildren and even great-grandchildren. Her influence will be felt for generations to come.

Michelle passed away peacefully in her home after a four-month fight with ovarian cancer.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Albert and LaVina, brother, Norman, and sister, LaJuan Anderson (Gale). She is survived by her husband, Bill, children Michele Watkins (Aldon) of Avon, Utah, Debbi Kinghorn (Brian) of Sugar City, Kris Olsen (Matt) of Pocatello, Bill Woodland (Fabiola) of Vancouver, Washington, Richard Woodland (Sonya) of Clinton, Missouri, Jeff Woodland (Jamie) of Pocatello, and Jennifer Higbee (Michael) of Buhl, and sisters Margaret Bench (Gerald) of Provo, Utah and Mary Nelle Gertsch (Guy) of Salt Lake City, Utah, and brother John Holman (Joyce), of Tucson, Arizona, and forty-three grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

The family wish to express thanks to Evelyn and her crew at Heritage Hospice for the tender care they gave Michelle this past month, as well as for the comfort and support they gave to our family.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, September 28, 2020 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints located at 4600 Victory Road in Chubbuck, Idaho. A viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 27, 2020 at Wilks Funeral Home 211 W. Chubbuck Road and one hour prior to services at the church until 10:45 a.m. Interment will follow services in the Mountain View Cemetery in Pocatello.

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