William "Bill" Woodland

William Henry Woodland was born February 16, 1941 to James Henry and Edith Ione Walker Woodland, the youngest of five living children. He began his life in an incubator on a small, rural farm on Philbin Road. His mother diligently cared for her tiny son, and eventually he began to thrive and grow. She never let him forget that he owed her his life. He was very close to his older brother Jim, and they enjoyed exploring and working the farm. They began taking over the milking responsibilities when he was nine, resulting in his rule as the arm-wrestling champion of the fifth grade. In order to avoid piano lessons from his mother, he learned to play the accordion at a young age. Every Christmas, he would pull out the accordion and play Christmas carols while the rest of the family would carol to the neighbors.

Bill attended Jefferson Elementary, Pocatello High School, Ricks College, Idaho State University, and the University of Utah Law School, where he completed his educational journey.

Bill began his career as a high school history teacher. After one year of teaching, he decided he wanted to go to law school. Upon graduation from law school, he worked in both Utah and Idaho as a lawyer, until his appointment in 1978 as a magistrate judge. He became a District Judge for the Sixth Judicial District in 1982, and retired from his bench in 2003. He continued working as a Senior Judge for several more years.

From October 1960 to January 1963, he served a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in the Central States Mission. He returned home with the intention of working the family farm alongside his brother and father, but found the farm too small to support three families, even though his was a family of one.

He pursued Michelle Holman after her mission to the West Mexican Mission, and they were married on November 23, 1966 in the Idaho Falls Temple. They were the parents of seven children. Bill always said his family was his greatest accomplishment, and he spent his time teaching them to work and to worship. He was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and taught his children to serve others.

Bill liked to spend time outdoors, riding horses, hiking, biking, and skiing. He, along with his horse, Snap, enjoyed giving wagon and sleigh rides to his children, grandchildren, and neighbors. He was also interested in his family history, and an important place in his life was Nauvoo, Illinois. He was able to spend parts of two summers as an unskilled laborer, helping to build the Nauvoo Temple. Other significant places in his life included St. George, Utah, Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Lava Hot Springs, Idaho.

Bill was very confident and capable. He learned to work hard as a young child, and continued to work hard and play hard throughout his life. He could build and fix anything, though sometimes his projects were creatively constructed. He built several homes and a cabin, and maintained a large, beautiful yard, orchard, and raspberry patch. He loved to share raspberries from the patch, fruit from the orchard, honey from his bees, and cider from his press with family and neighbors.

The circumstances of his death were unexpected, and as a family, we find tremendous comfort in the outpouring of support from the family and community. We are so grateful for the many people who gave their time and resources to search for our dad. Thank you to the Sheriff’s Department, the Search and Rescue volunteers, the Fish and Game employees, and the Reservation authorities for their diligence and collaboration. A special thanks to the Alameda Stake and Ward members, and their army of volunteers, along with so many unnamed and unheralded searchers. We have shed many tears trying to comprehend your generosity. We don’t know what his thoughts were in his last moments. We know he has missed our mom for the past five years and we believe that he is now at peace.

Bill is survived by his children; Michele Watkins (Aldon), Debbi Kinghorn (Brian), Kris Olsen (Matt), Bill Woodland (Fabiola), Richard Woodland (Sonya), Jeff Woodland (Jamie), and Jennifer Higbee (Michael), and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife, Michelle Holman Woodland, his parents, James Henry and Edith Ione Walker Woodland, and his siblings, Donna Lee Frogley (sister), Gaynor Keller (sister), Lynette Parkinson (sister), and Jim Woodland (brother).

A funeral service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025 at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Alameda Stake Center located at 930 E. Alameda Road, Pocatello, ID. A viewing will be held from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, December 18, 2025 at Wilks Funeral Home, 211 W. Chubbuck Rd in Chubbuck, Idaho.

The family suggests that memorial contributions be made to the Idaho Food Bank in his honor: https://idahofoodbank.org/donate/