Julie Therese Wood

Julie Therese Wood, age 71, of St. Cloud, died Nov. 14, 2024, at her home in St. Cloud, MN.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 AM, on Thursday, November 21, 2024, in the Lower Level of St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. A visitation will take place one hour prior to the service in the church on Thursday. A private burial will be at North Star Cemetery, St. Cloud.

Julie was born June 30, 1953, to Patricia (Smith) and Robert J. Cumming, in Mankato, MN. She was baptized at St. John the Baptist, the Irish Catholic church up the street from her Cumming grandparents’ house. She was the third-born of 10 children and one of seven sisters.

The Cumming family lived briefly in Ames, IA, before moving to St. Paul so that Bob Cumming could attend medical school. Among Julie’s earliest memories, was living in public housing in the Mt. Airy neighborhood above Regions Hospital. Julie and her sisters enjoyed free-range childhoods that included walking to Rice Park to use the St. Paul public library.

When Julie was 9, the family moved to St. Cloud. Julie’s world quickly became the streets and alleys around 1121 Sixth Ave. N, and the wonderland across the street – Hester Park. The park’s granite steps hosted DIY recreations of the Miss America pageant. In autumn, mounds of bur oak leaves provided endless fun. The grassy slopes were fine for sleds and toboggans.

As a teenager, Julie frequented Dan Marsh Drug with her cherry coke-sipping girlfriends. Nevertheless, Julie graduated from Cathedral High School in 1971. She attended St. Cloud State University in her 30s, where she found her form and earned A’s.

Julie was the proud daughter and granddaughter of women’s wear salesclerks. As a child, she hid in the long coats at Buttrey’s in Mankato, where her paternal grandmother worked. As an adult, she would rush to Dayton’s in Crossroads Center to snatch up good deals her salesclerk mother had set aside.

Julie made caramels at Christmas, cookies when it rained, and bars for family gatherings.

Work was important to Julie. Her 50 cents an hour babysitting jobs included childcare, doing laundry, vacuuming, and washing dishes. Her workplace journey included hostess at Mr. Steak, window decorator at JCPenney, elementary school paraprofessional, and 27 years of service at St. Cloud Hospital. She held several hospital jobs in transcription, scheduling surgical scheduling, and unit support, The hospital job she liked most was being the daughter of Dr. Cumming, vice president of medical staff services. The job she was most proud of was helping her mother transition to assisted living, to a nursing home, and, finally, to God's Heavenly Family.

Fundamentally, Julie was a mother and a grandmother. Nurturing was the animating force in her life from June 14, 1978, until her death. Her children and grandchildren gave her the greatest joy.

Julie is survived by her husband, Jeff, St. Cloud; children, Ross (Sally) Thelen, Dayton, MN, Summer (Jamie) Hommerding, Minnetonka, MN, Nick (Sarah) Thelen, Otsego, MN, Samuel Wood and his fiancée, Catherine Seifert, Otsego, MN; eight siblings, Merrily (Gary) Hazelton, Minnesota City; Kathy Cumming, Minnetonka; Sue (Wally) Abel, St. Cloud; Thomas (Margie) Cumming, St. Cloud; Kelly (Bryant) Richards, Annandale; John (Eileen Crespo) Cumming, Lake Elmo; Mary Pat (Dan Naidicz) Cumming, Lake Elmo; Jamey Cumming, St. Cloud; sister-in-law, Holly (Jay) Wood, Mason, OH; cousins, nieces, and nephews; eight grandchildren; her book club sisters; her workout sisters; her hospital sisters; her Class of 1971 sisters; her youth hockey sisters; and her first husband, Rick (Sue) Thelen, St. Cloud,

Julie was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Ken and Betty (Weinberger) Cumming; maternal grandparents, Jack and Kathleen (Fletcher) Smith; parents; niece, Grace Cumming; sister, Cynthia Cumming; and granddaughter, Murphy Thelen.

Memorials are preferred to Anna Marie’s Alliance, St. Cloud, and St. Cloud Area Family YMCA. Hugs are preferred to her family. #EverybodyClapYourHands