Wanda Eugenia (Walker) Stanley

Wanda Eugenia (Walker) Stanley passed away peacefully at Argent Court Assisted Living in Brenham, Texas on Wednesday, the 31st of January 2018, at the age of 94. She was an adored mother, grandmother and great grandmother and dearly loved by many.

A memorial service celebrating her life is to be conducted at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 3 at Industry Methodist Church in Industry, TX with the Rev. Leighanne Brechin officiating.

Wanda was born April 22, 1923 in Bay City, TX. She attended the University of Texas and later worked for the LaMarque Times, the Gene Hammond Ford dealership and Amoco Gas Company in Texas City.

She married Thomas Dale Stanley in 1942 and together they raised two sons, Thomas Dale II and Michael Craig, and two daughters, Cathy Gail and Leslie Sue.

Dale and Wanda made their home in LaMarque and were members of the First Methodist Church, first in Texas City and later in LaMarque. She played piano and organ for Sunday school and church as well as many weddings in the area. She is presently a member of Industry Methodist Church in Industry, TX.

In 1963 they bought a farm in Round Top, TX and it was their love. After their retirement they spent many happy days there.

They were also very involved with their grandchildren and loved to go to little league baseball games where she kept her own “official” score sheet, and spent time at their farm with their grandchildren. They also spent several summers in Colorado at their son, Tom’s, RV campground. Wanda used to “run” the office during their summer trips while Dale helped build picnic tables, log cabins and did the morning trash run.

For several years Wanda and Dale had a special ministry of making wooden crosses from pieces of oak flooring, some over 100 years old. Dale would cut them out and Wanda would help sand them and add the cord. They would then wear them everywhere they went, waiting for someone to tell them how much they liked their beautiful crosses. Then they would immediately take them off and give them to that person, thus passing along their love for Christ. Over the years they gave away over 300 crosses.

They moved to Argent Court Assisted Living in Brenham in 2014 and had many friends there, both staff and other residents. Wanda loved to crochet and made afghans, hundreds of prayer shawls, pot holders and dish cloths. She loved to share her prayer shawls with others, including hospice clients, children in Colorado having kidney dialysis, all of her children, grandchildren and numerous friends. She also loved to color and spent hours making each colored page into a new creation.

In LaMarque, they had a wonderful pecan tree in their yard and loved to crack and open pecans. When they moved to Brenham she really missed her pecans, until finding that she could get pecans to crack and pick out from her church friends in Industry. They kept her busy for many hours.

She also loved to do something special for her family each Christmas. In 2016, she spent countless hours handwriting a 191 page cookbook, a compilation of her favorite recipes for her family and special friends.

Wanda was also known for complementing and encouraging others. Just a few days ago, one woman from Agent Court reminded Wanda that she had told her when they first met that she had a beautiful smile and to never lose it. She said that she had never forgotten that and it helped her each day.

Preceded in death by her beloved husband of 73 years, Dale and son, Michael Craig, Wanda is survived by a son, Thomas Dale II and his wife Linda; a daughter Cathy Gail Moore and husband David; a daughter Leslie Sue Johnson and husband Mark; 3 daughters-in-law, Juanita Stanley, Judy Robinson and Sandra McNeil, as well as seven grandchildren and nineteen great-grandchildren.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions in Wanda’s memory may be made to Brazos Valley Hospice or Industry Methodist Church (youth building fund), Industry, TX.

Services are in the care of Brenham Memorial Chapel, 2300 Stringer St., Brenham, TX.
979.836.3611 or leave messages at www.BrenhamMemorialChapel.com