Wanda Watkins, 75

Wanda Watkins, 75, of Mountain Home, died Jan. 29, 2004, surrounded by her family.

Funeral services were held Monday, Feb. 2, at Summers Funeral Homes, McMurtrey Chapel in Mountain Home. Burial followed at Mountain View Cemetery.

Wanda was born April 7, 1928, in Pocahontas, Ark., the first-born daughter of Cecile and Jasper Clements.

She married Ernest Watkins on April 18, 1952, in Reno, Nev.

Wanda was a devoted wife, mother and homemaker, who enjoyed teaching Sunday School, volunteering many hours of her time with the American Red Cross and was district leader for Hands Across America, her family noted.

"She made a wonderful home in many locations during her husband's long military career, often moving to various stateside and overseas military bases," the family said. "She became 'Mom' to many barge hands when she worked as a cook for Ingram Barge Lines of Tennessee, providing many nourishing meals for the crew while traveling up and down the Mississippi River."

She and her husband managed apartments in Cheney, Wash., and Meridian, Idaho. In 1989, they moved to Mountain Home to become managers of Republic Storage until they both retired in 1999.

Wanda was "a devoted child of Christ" and enjoyed attending church services at River of Life Church in Mountain Home.

Wanda is survived by: her husband of 52 years, Ernie, of Mountain Home; her daughter, Shirley Hughes of Sacramento, Calif.; daughter and son-in-law Jean and Joe Agbisit of Moses Lake, Wash.; daughter and son-in-law DeAnna and Jerry Koch of Boise; daughter and son-in-law Barbara and Gus Hodges of Mountain Home; daughter and son-in-law Lorraine and Ray Osborne of Big Spring, Texas; son James Watkins of Lubbock, Texas; her stepmother, Marie Clements and brothers J.C. Clements and Sonny Clements, all of Truman,Ark.; sister Tish of Sacramento, Calif., and 28 grand- children and great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her mother, father, brother Kenneth Clements and her sister Alice Berry.