Wanda Lucille Pettipiece, 83, of Salem, Oregon passed away at the Rosewood Court in Salem, Oregon on Friday, February 5, 2021.
Wanda was born March 10, 1937 to Clarence and Vivian Pettipiece at their home in Diamond Springs, California.
In 1942 she moved with her family to Nebraska. The gold mine where her father, Clarence, worked was ordered closed by the government so the miners could be sent to essential mines such as copper and silver for the World War II war effort. The family moved to a farm which included Squaw Mound. They had purchased the farm and moved April 1943 as Clarence could transfer from mining to farming.
Wanda attended district #66 country school, but she did so well in school that she skipped a grade and ending up being in the same grade as her brother, Jerry. Wanda always wanted to be a teacher and she taught her two younger sisters before they started school.
She graduated from Crawford high school at the age of sixteen and started teaching in September after attending Chadron Teacher’s College for just one summer.
She eventually gave up teaching to help her brother, Clayton and family with their young children, Kim and Jay while Clayton finished medical school in Omaha, Nebraska. Wanda worked for Bell telephone in Omaha, Nebraska for five years and was able to help both Juanita and Mary Jane obtain temporary jobs there before they continued their career training. Later Wanda returned to teach with her mother, Vivian, in Marsland, Nebraska and afterward in Belmont, Nebraska for two years. After that she moved to California to help her brother Kenneth and his wife when Joel and Cynkay were young.
Wanda returned to Nebraska to help her mother, Vivian, after Vivian’s heart attack. After Vivian’s recovery, Wanda moved to Spokane, Washington where she ran a daycare center. It was there that she met Lana Kennedy and children. Wanda became foster mother to Lana’s children, Chris and Delilah Kennedy when Lana could not take care of them. Wanda and the Kennedys moved to Salem, Oregon where Wanda worked as a clerk at the Marion County animal rescue clinic until she retired. She took care of her mother, Vivian, from 1992-until Vivian’s death in March, 2002. Wanda provided loving care of her foster grandson, Jude after his birth in 2003.
Wanda will be remembered for her love of children and pets and the importance she gave to relatives and friends. Wanda was a member of Northgate Wesleyan Methodist Church Salem, Oregon. She made her commitment to the Lord Jesus Christ when she was young and her faith was very important to her.
Wanda leaves to mourn her passing, foster daughter, Delilah Kennedy and foster son, Chris Kennedy as well as foster grandson, Jude. Her sisters, Juanita Voohees, Mary Jane (Tom) Augustine and brothers, Duane (Carrol) Pettipiece and Jerry (Edith) Pettipiece. Many nieces and nephews, cousins and many friends and former students. Wanda was preceded in death by her parents Clarence and Vivian Pettipiece and her two brothers, Clayton and Kenneth and one nephew, David Pettipiece and two great nephews David Betten and Casey Adams.
Celebration of life services will be held at Northgate Wesleyan Methodist Church 2405 Carleton Way NE Salem, Oregon on March12 at 11:00 am with Pastor Dane Gjesdal officiating.
Graveside services will be at Greenwood Cemetery Chadron, Nebraska so Wanda can be buried beside her parents, Clarence and Vivian Pettipiece. Planned graveside services are for Saturday, February 20 at 11:00 am.
Memorials can be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or your favorite charity through Chamberlain Chapel Chadron, Nebraska or Virgil T. Golden Mortuary 605 Commercial St SE Salem, Oregon 97301