Obituary for Wanda Lee Sanders (Walls)
Funeral services for Wanda Sanders, 88, of Athens, are scheduled for 2:00 p.m., Thursday, November 18, 2021 at Bois D’Arc Baptist Church with Pastor Jeff Jackson and Pastor Aaron Austin officiating. Interment will follow at Liberty Cemetery near Bradford under the direction of Hannigan Smith Funeral Home.
Mrs. Sanders passed away November 15, 2021 in Tyler.
Wanda Lee (Walls) Sanders was born April 23, 1933, in Wills Point, Texas, the daughter of Hubert Lee and Evah Beatrice Walls. She lived in Bradford, Texas as a child. She also lived in several other Texas towns as her family moved around to different construction sites where her daddy’s job with Brown and Root Construction took them. She graduated from Pasadena High School, Pasadena, TX in 1950. On July 3, 1952, she married the love of her life, Marvin Sanders, to whom she was married for 62 years. He was drafted into the US Army a few months later and she became a military wife. They were stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for two years where their oldest daughter, Gail, was born. After leaving the military service, they moved back to East Texas where they had four more daughters, Tina, Jean, Sheila, and Carla. Wanda was a wonderful, loving mother to her five little girls and faithfully taught them about the love of Jesus. She lived a consistent Godly life as an example for them to follow. She was a co-business owner with her husband and manager of two retail properties. She was a published writer for several publications including Home Life Magazine and several regional magazines including a series of articles on historical churches. She retired as an office manager and accountant for a communications construction company. She was a member of Bois D’Arc Baptist Church for several decades where she served faithfully in many capacities including teaching VBS, adult Sunday School and Ladies’ Bible Study for many years. She loved to travel, especially enjoying her trip to the Holy Land. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was an avid reader and student of the Bible. She loved Jesus and lived her life to honor Him. She was generous, loving, and kind. For the past few years, she was a member of One Hope in Athens, Texas where she remained a strong prayer warrior and supporter of mission outreaches around the world. She especially loved the ministry of Operation Christmas Child and crocheted hundreds of washcloths for underprivileged children, praying for the children who would receive them as she made each washcloth with love and care. Wanda was a skilled homemaker who enjoyed cooking, sewing, embroidery, and crochet. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband, Marvin, her parents, Hubert and Evah Walls, a brother, Clifford Walls, a sister, Dolores Lambright, a brother, Dewey Walls, Sr., and a grandson, Hunter Harris.
She is survived by her five daughters and their husbands, Gail and Charles Cotton of Cleburne, Texas; Tina and Joe Harris, Jean and Robbie Williams, Sheila and Eddie Smith, and Carla and Jeff Jackson – all of Athens, TX; one sister, Patsy Williams of Athens, Texas; twenty grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
Serving as pallbearers will be Rick Cotton, Rusty Smith, Ben Smith, Matthew Harris, Colt Harris, Jacob Harris, Jordan Harris, Jason Harris, Cade Jackson and Ethan Jackson.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, November 17, 2021 from 6-8:00 p.m. at Hannigan Smith Funeral Home.
In lie of flowers the family would like donations to be made to Operation Christmas Child at www.samaritanspurse.org
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.
Mrs. Sanders passed away November 15, 2021 in Tyler.
Wanda Lee (Walls) Sanders was born April 23, 1933, in Wills Point, Texas, the daughter of Hubert Lee and Evah Beatrice Walls. She lived in Bradford, Texas as a child. She also lived in several other Texas towns as her family moved around to different construction sites where her daddy’s job with Brown and Root Construction took them. She graduated from Pasadena High School, Pasadena, TX in 1950. On July 3, 1952, she married the love of her life, Marvin Sanders, to whom she was married for 62 years. He was drafted into the US Army a few months later and she became a military wife. They were stationed in Anchorage, Alaska for two years where their oldest daughter, Gail, was born. After leaving the military service, they moved back to East Texas where they had four more daughters, Tina, Jean, Sheila, and Carla. Wanda was a wonderful, loving mother to her five little girls and faithfully taught them about the love of Jesus. She lived a consistent Godly life as an example for them to follow. She was a co-business owner with her husband and manager of two retail properties. She was a published writer for several publications including Home Life Magazine and several regional magazines including a series of articles on historical churches. She retired as an office manager and accountant for a communications construction company. She was a member of Bois D’Arc Baptist Church for several decades where she served faithfully in many capacities including teaching VBS, adult Sunday School and Ladies’ Bible Study for many years. She loved to travel, especially enjoying her trip to the Holy Land. She loved spending time with her children and grandchildren. She was an avid reader and student of the Bible. She loved Jesus and lived her life to honor Him. She was generous, loving, and kind. For the past few years, she was a member of One Hope in Athens, Texas where she remained a strong prayer warrior and supporter of mission outreaches around the world. She especially loved the ministry of Operation Christmas Child and crocheted hundreds of washcloths for underprivileged children, praying for the children who would receive them as she made each washcloth with love and care. Wanda was a skilled homemaker who enjoyed cooking, sewing, embroidery, and crochet. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, sister, and friend who will be greatly missed by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her loving and devoted husband, Marvin, her parents, Hubert and Evah Walls, a brother, Clifford Walls, a sister, Dolores Lambright, a brother, Dewey Walls, Sr., and a grandson, Hunter Harris.
She is survived by her five daughters and their husbands, Gail and Charles Cotton of Cleburne, Texas; Tina and Joe Harris, Jean and Robbie Williams, Sheila and Eddie Smith, and Carla and Jeff Jackson – all of Athens, TX; one sister, Patsy Williams of Athens, Texas; twenty grandchildren, twenty-seven great-grandchildren, many nieces and nephews, and a host of friends.
Serving as pallbearers will be Rick Cotton, Rusty Smith, Ben Smith, Matthew Harris, Colt Harris, Jacob Harris, Jordan Harris, Jason Harris, Cade Jackson and Ethan Jackson.
A visitation will be held Wednesday, November 17, 2021 from 6-8:00 p.m. at Hannigan Smith Funeral Home.
In lie of flowers the family would like donations to be made to Operation Christmas Child at www.samaritanspurse.org
Funeral arrangements were entrusted to the Hannigan Smith Funeral Home family.