Wanda Jean Russell was born in Ft. Worth, Texas on August 25, 1936 to O. H. and Gertrude Hiett. She went to be with her Lord on January 20, 2013. She grew up and attended public schools in Ft. Worth, graduating from Polytechnic High School in 1954. She attended junior college at Arlington State and earned her BS and M.Ed. degrees at UNT.
She was a career teacher and taught in public schools in Tucson, Arizona, Lubbock, El Paso, Austin and Little Elm, Texas.
Her favourite leisure activities were traveling, sewing and tending her flower gardens. She travelled to Europe, Canada, the Mediterranean, Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, Alaska, Hawaii and most parts of the United States. She had a computerized embroidery machine that she used to decorate clothes and household items. She took particular pride in tending her flower beds.
She is survived by her husband of 54 years, Elmer Russell; daughters, Dee Anna Russell of Lewisville, Texas, Raelee Minter and husband, Hollis of McKinney, Texas; grandsons, Jacob and Nickolas Minter.
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, January 23, 2013 in the Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Chapel with Rev. Don Renshaw officiating. Interment will follow at Ridgeview Memorial Park, Allen, Texas.
The family will receive friends during a visitation on Tuesday evening beginning at 7:00 p.m., at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home, Allen, Texas.