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She had been offered a job as a cleaning person at the funeral home, but the experience with the bodies prompted her to turn it down.

The rejection was temporary. Woodbeck, 59, accepted the position the second time it was offered.

“It was creepy at first but I got used it,” Woodbeck said. “I needed the money at the time so I took the job and the hours worked out for what I could do.”

Woodbeck is part of an occupation that includes 4.2 million building cleaning workers in the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, a number that is expected to rise to just above 4.7 million by 2016.

She grew up in St. Paul’s Midway area. Her parents owned their own business, Letourneau Window Company.

After graduating from Washington High School, Woodbeck went on to beauty school and began working at a beauty shop on Grand Avenue; later she had two children, Melissa and Jason.

Her dream was to be a hairdresser and she was. She wanted to get married and have kids and she did.

“I didn’t have any goals after that,” Woodbeck said.

In 1994 she began working at Willwerscheid Funeral Home as a cleaning lady, keeping her job as a hairdresser and helping watch her two godchildren. A year later Woodbeck’s 23-year marriage ended.

“He was a hard worker but most of his checks didn’t come home, they went to the bar,” Woodbeck said. “It was rocky through the whole thing. I just stayed because of the kids.”

The countless hours of work damaged her health. Carpal tunnel syndrome, arthritis, back problems and other problems limited Woodbeck to the part-time cleaning job at the mortuary, bringing her $440 every two weeks.

Woodbeck is too young to get Social Security and makes too much to get medical assistance.

“Everything is a Catch 22,” Woodbeck said. “I could get food stamps but there are others who need them more.”

Woodbeck does not make enough to get a place of her own, but she is fortunate to live with her sister, Nancy. She does household chores for her room and board, which helps keep her bills low.

The income at the funeral home provides Woodbeck enough to get by, even though it may not be enough to get a new vehicle.

“I don’t feel like I’m in poverty,” Woodbeck said, “I have everything I need.”

Tim Clausen, 54, has been a funeral director at Willwerscheid Funeral Home for 28 years, working alongside Woodbeck for the last 15.

“It’s the most under-rated position at the funeral home, but I feel it is no more or no less important than any other position on this staff,” Clausen said.

First impressions are extremely important in the mortuary business, just as it is in many other types of businesses. The cleanliness of a funeral home can have a large impact on families.

“It really is a thankless job but she takes pride in what she does,” Clausen said. “She isn’t one to go above and beyond the call of duty, but she fulfills her job description.”

Clausen said people in low-paying jobs are often seen as second-class citizens.

“We need to assist those who are doing lower positions and give them respect to help their self-esteem,” Clausen said.