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- Obituary:
Wanda Mae Gilstrap passed away March 29, 2016. She was born November 2, 1929 in Sweetwater, Texas, to Virginia McIntyre. Two weeks later she was adopted by Ruth and Frank Chambers who lived in Grand Prairie.
Wanda was an only child whose parents doted on her and spoiled her as much as a child in the Depression could be spoiled. As a girl she played "school" and "church." She dreamed of being a teacher. She attended Pasadena High School where she met Jack Terry, who she married in 1946. One of her first jobs was at Chance Vought in Dallas typing the manual for the F4U aircraft. With Jack she had three children, twin girls Terry and Jerry Terry (1948), and a son, Jackie (1950). She and Jack were married for 14 years.
As a young mother Wanda faced many challenges with the health of her children. Her parents lived close in the Oakcliff neighborhood and helped raise the children. In 1961 Wanda met Robert Gilstrap in a bowling league. They married in 1961 and moved to Victoria in 1962, where Robert was a coach and teacher with VISD. Daughter Virginia Suerene Gilstrap was born soon after. Wanda worked as the main receptionist at The Victoria College for 24 years. She was an avid bridge player and a member of Beta Sigma Phi sorority. Her twin daughters both became teachers and Robert retired from VISD in 1984. Throughout the 80s Wanda enjoyed her grandsons, Christian Mark and Cory Matthew Krueger, and arranged group vacations with her friends.
In 1987 she attended a Methodist leadership retreat called the Walk to Emmaus. She and Robert enthusiastically participated in the movement, helping wherever they could. They also attended the "Come One, Come All" Sunday school class at First United Methodist Church. When she retired from the college in 1990, it was in order to travel to South Africa to help lead the first Walk to Emmaus in that country. It was the first of five trips there. In the 90s she turned her hobby of trip planning into her second career as a travel agent, specializing in cruises and mission trips. During this time, she and Robert traveled all over the world: Alaska, Europe, China, Australia, Brazil and the Greek Isles. However, Robert and Wanda also enjoyed traveling in Texas in their RV and spending time with the Rambling Rose RV club.
Also in the 90s Wanda started researching her birth mother and in 2001 connected with her genetic family, the five other children of Virginia McIntyre Blaskowsky: Lorraine, Caroline, Ruby, Eleanor, Louise and Lloyd. Her half siblings welcomed her into the family with open hearts.
In the new century, Wanda finally got to be a teacher herself. She taught bridge at First Methodist and also gave presentations about the family-of-origin research process. After her husband passed in 2011, Wanda played a lot of dominoes and cards and made many friends at Homewood and Brightwater assisted living residences.
She was preceded in death by: parents Ruth and Frank Chambers, birth mother Virginia Blaskowsky, husband Robert Gilstrap, sisters Lorraine Corser, Ruby Hunt and Louise Salsman. Wanda is survived by: daughters Terry Krueger (Royce), Jerry Terry, and Virginia S. Gilstrap, daughter-in-heart Nelva Wagner, grandsons Christian Mark Krueger (Megan) and Cory Matthew Krueger, great grandsons Brady Royce and Brooks Christian Krueger.
A memorial service will be held Friday, April 1, 2016, at 10 a.m. at First United Methodist Church. A dinner reception will follow in the Fellowship Hall.
(Published by Rosewood Funeral Chapel of Victoria, TX)
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1929 - 2016 (86 years)
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