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Wanda J. Wilhoite Obituary

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Wanda J. Wilhoite

Winslow, AZ

March 18, 1934 - August 4, 2022

Wanda J. Wilhoite Obituary

Wanda Wilhoite, 88, left this life on August 4, seven months to the day, to join her husband of 66 years, Delco, who left us on January 4, 2022. (We figure she decided that seven months was enough eternal rest for Daddy.)


Wanda always said that 'Arkansas people are sweet natured people, and she was one of them.' She was born in Clarksville, Arkansas, in 1933 or 1934. (The family Bible and US Census have different dates.) Her family moved to Osawatomie, Kansas, when she was very young. Her parents were James and Oretta Blackburn. She had one older brother, James Blackburn, Jr., and three younger siblings, Eddie, Anne, and Roy West, from Oretta's second marriage to Daddy Charley West.


Mom attended local Osawatomie schools.

She could remember walking past the nice school to the poor school that she was allowed to attend. Everyone did, however, attend the same high school


During high school, she and Delco courted on the front porch under the watchful eye of Grandma Rhett. They were not allowed to go anywhere alone in an automobile (which our Grandmother described as 'w****houses in wheels.') Since my dad was from Paola, which was seven miles from Osawatomie, and he did not own a car, this must have been either true love or abject stupidity.


(In the good old days, Osawatomie was the location of a large facility for the mentally deranged. My dad claimed that was where he really met my mom, and that he caught her with a large butterfly net.)


Mom attended Ursuline Catholic College, working her way through school as a switchboard operator. (She later earned her teaching degree from Northern Arizona University.)


She and Delco became engaged before he went into service during the Korean War.


Delco and Wanda married when he got out of the Army. Del attended Manhattan State Teacher's College. After graduation, they moved to the Navajo Reservation with toddlers Valerie and Marcia in tow. Warren, Charlie, and Janice were born while the Wilhoites were working as teachers on the Reservation. Reginald was born after the family moved into Winslow.


Wanda was an excellent seamstress. She was also a crack typist. As a youngster, Mom took local music lessons from a classical pianist. She paid for her piano lessons by cleaning the woman's home (and practicing very hard.) Mom said she became her tiny church's musician 'as soon she learned where Middle C was on the keyboard.' She served faithfully in the AME Church all of her life.


Mom's true passion was children. She was a loving, no-nonsense parent AND teacher, and she expected all her kids to do their best. After she left teaching, she opened a non-profit after-school program called United People Who Care Organization, with two other retired teachers, Dot Renfro and Theo Dotson. "The Center," as it was affectionately called, was in operation for at least ten years, helping local kids finish their homework, and providing a safe haven in that gap before parents came home from work. Wanda leaves behind a generation of sweet memories from the neighborhood children, and mild heartburn for the Winslow City Council. She was quite the advocate when it came to local politics, or community children.


Wanda was preceded in death by daughter Marcia, son Warren, grandsons Shane Garnett and Martin Wood; and her husband Delco.


Survivors include children, Valerie, Janice and Reggie of Winslow, and Charles (Tammy) of Portland, Oregon, son in law Stephen Garnett, sister Annabel, and brothers James, Eddie, and Roy, many grands and great-grands, friends, and her church family.


We love you, Momma.


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