Wanda Lee Marshall

Born Wanda Lee Conn in Thorndale, Texas on May 30, 1942. She was proud of her Texas heritage. Her ancestors, Daniel and Precilla Gilleland were part of Stephen F. Austin's Old Three Hundred Colony that came to settle Texas in December of 1821 and fought for Texas' independence. She was the first child of Woodrow (Woody) Wilson Conn and Audrey Lecinda Cargill Conn. She came into this world weighing close to 9 lbs. That might be the reason that her sister Melba Joy Sellers was not born until five years later (1947). Her sister, Carolyn Ann Armstrong (1952) was her third sibling and twelve years later, on Wanda's birthday, her brother Elton Woodrow was born (1954). Her father passed away in June of 1999, at the age of 85. In 1998, her sister Carolyn also passed away. Her mother, Audrey, still resides in her home town of Vidor, Texas at the age of 96. She shares a home with her daughter Melba, whose husband Ivan passed away in 2013. Her brother Elton, and his wife Sheila, reside nearby in Kountze, Texas. Her brother-in-law John Armstrong and his two sons, Jason and Cliff, live in Sonora, California. When she was 16, the church where her family worshiped, welcomed a new pastor. The pastor had a son by the name of Russell, who was also 16. Three years later, on May 4, 1962, at the ripe old age of 19, they were married in Vidor, Texas. The following year (1963) saw the arrival of their first child, Tamara Dyanne in Beaumont, Texas. In 1966, after moving to California, they welcomed their second daughter Sonya Lynn, and in 1970, after returning to Texas, their family was completed with the birth of their third daughter, Rhonda Annette. They returned to California and Wanda and Russell lived in several cities, usually in the Central Valley. In 1973, they moved to Dinuba where they pastored Christian Life Center. During those years Wanda worked as a Teacher's Aide for the Dinuba School District. In 1988, they moved to Lindsay where they pastored First Assembly of God for the next 6 years. 1994 brought major changes into her life. She and Russell made the decision to move to Arkansas to join other family members and partner in some joint business partnerships. She worked in several of those partnership operations. In 2012, they returned to California to be closer to their children. Visalia would become her home until her passing. Through the years she watched her daughters marry and start families of their own. Tammy married Mike Mainord in 1986, Sonya married Joe Morgan in 1990, and Rhonda married Nigel Stout in 1998. Her daughters and their husbands were to give her 10 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Around 2005, while visiting her children here in California, she became ill. The past 13 years have proved to be challenging, as the doctors tried to determine the cause of her illness. After many years of numerous specialists, tests, and treatments, Wanda's illness proved to be elusive and on June 2, 2018 at 12:55 am her body lost the battle. She was comforted by her faith that when this time came, that her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, would send His angels to take her tired body and exchange it for a new one. Today she is in His presence with the hope that on that Resurrection Day she will have a new body. That old things have passed away and all things have become new. A Celebration Of Life will be held 11:00AM Thursday, June 7th, 2018 at Salser & Dillard Funeral Chapel, 127 E. Caldwell Ave., Visalia. Memorial Tributes can be offered by logging onto www.salseranddillard.com.

Wanda Lee Marshall

May 30, 1942 - June 2, 2018