Welcome to the Senior Class: Meet Dorothy Wood
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Dorothy Wood since 1998. I say with all sincerity that to this day, she radiates the same joy through her infectious smile that
she did when we first met.
Dorothy Payne Wood turned 100 years old last October, so I’m feeling pretty safe in saying she’s our most senior Associate! She has been an active participant in our Associates family and has passed that legacy on to her beautiful family.
Here’s a little of Dorothy’s story:
Dorothy first came to Mount Hermon when her husband, Barton Payne, brought her to the Payne family cabin for their honeymoon in February of 1946. Between 1946 and 1979, her family came to Mount Hermon almost every summer (the family picture was in a 1962 Mount Hermon LOG).
When Barton died in 1979, Dorothy returned to Mount Hermon full-time from Missouri, where she and Barton lived. In 1986, she married James Wood and they continued to live in the family home for 25 more years. During this time, she and James volunteered in many roles, including hosting Mount Hermon’s monthly neighborhood prayer meeting.
However, Dorothy’s greatest contribution was encouraging her younger brother, Dick Dosker, to apply for summer staff in the 1950s. Dick went on to become a much-loved staff leader, with more than 30 years of service at Mount Hermon.
In 2021, three years after James died, Dorothy moved from Scotts Valley, where she and James had lived since 2011 back to the Mount Hermon home. Dorothy continues to praise the Lord by
hosting monthly prayer meetings along with leading a weekly women’s Bible study.
That is just a snippet of Dorothy’s Mount Hermon story. Like many of you, her life has made a difference here and we are grateful.
Now the question is, what will Dorothy do with her next 100 years?
