Wanda Lou Humphries
1936 – 2022
On January 19, 2022, Wanda Lou Humphries passed away peacefully in her home, in the presence of loved ones. She was the oldest child of Ernest and Marjorie Wright, born on June 11, 1936 in Geary, Oklahoma. Her parents eventually bought land and settled southeast of OK City. Wanda’s siblings (Elnora, Florence, Edward, Esther, and Linda) were all dear to her heart. She left this world cherishing her family and memories of a fulfilled life.
Wanda graduated from Putnam City High School in 1954. One of her memorable high school experiences was completing the Civil Air Patrol Cadet Program with her good friend Sherrill. In her late teens, Wanda began working at Tinker Airforce Base. It was during this time that Wanda met Jimmie Walter Humphries at a Friday night YWCA dance. Jim was attending the University of Oklahoma on the GI Bill, studying geological engineering. Jim and Wanda hit it off and married on October 11, 1957. Wanda moved to Buena Vista, CO with Jim and their first two daughters, Jamie and Lori, in 1960. They bought a log cabin on the banks of Cottonwood Creek, met lifelong friends, and settled into mountain living. Jimmie Walter, Jr. (a.k.a. Wally) was born shortly after they moved to Tulsa in 1964. The family moved out west to California in 1967. Wanda found them an old green house with a view of Mt. Tamalpais. Wanda and Jim met many of their lifelong friends at First Baptist Church in San Anselmo. Jennifer was born in 1970. Weekend outings and “roughing it” camping trips were common. Ties to Oklahoma and Colorado remained strong – annual road trips to visit family in Oklahoma and the cabin in Buena Vista was the norm for many years to come. After Fairfax, the family (shrinking as kids left the nest) moved twice more, to Sacramento in 1979 and then to Chula Vista in 1985.
A few years after Jim passed away, Wanda retired from her civil servant position with the Navy and moved to Boise, Idaho in 1999. She had taken up painting in Chula Vista and immediately connected with the local artist communities in Boise, taking classes and honing her skills. Her work included landscapes, still life, portraits, barns, and roosters. Wanda explored her new home state of Idaho and made a point to travel to places that she had always wanted to visit, traveling with Elderhostel, with family, with friends, and on her own. She thoroughly enjoyed learning the history and culture of the places she visited. Wanda was also a talented writer and left a cherished collection of family stories, travel logs, and poems. She valued friends and friendship, keeping bonds with those met long ago and forming new ones along the way. She loved and took care of her family and was a gentle and supportive mother to all her kids. People appreciated her kindness, easygoing spirit, curiosity, and humor. Wanda’s life was guided by her faith in God and the Gospel. With every move, it was important to her to find and belong to a church where she could worship and find fellowship.
Wanda is survived by her children and their spouses: Jamie (Tom) Barclay; Lori (Chris) Ewens; Wally Humphries (Jan Stephens); Jennifer (Greg) Brown. Four grandchildren: Ross Barclay and his daughter Marley; Nicholas (Bella) Ewens; Remi (Alastair) Curley and their daughters Charlotte and Zoey; and Lucas Brown. Beloved sisters, brother, and their spouses: Elnora Lowry, Esther (Will) Hargrave, Edward (Sandy) Wright, and (Douglas Wade). Previously departed: Wanda’s husband, Jim Humphries; parents, Ernest “Sam” and Marjorie Wright; brother-in-law Jerry Lowry (Elnora’s husband and Jim’s best friend); and sisters Florence Wade and Linda Nelson. On Jim’s side, Wanda is survived by her sister-in-law, Ginger Hunter. Previously departed: parents-in-law, Dewey and Helen Humphries; siblings-in-law, Beckie and John Starzenski; and brother-in-law, Tom Hunter. Wanda was a beloved aunt to numerous nieces and nephews. She was blessed to have had many great friends.
A celebration of life will be held at 1:30 pm, on Saturday, March 19, 2022 at True Hope Church, 607 N. 13th St. in Boise. The service will also be live-streamed and available online at: https://youtu.be/0ZGuFOCHTIo
The program for the service is available at: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RTJdAVvJZTEXAbsQjMBavKvi7yfz9asl/view?usp=sharing
To watch the memorial tribute video, please visit: https://youtu.be/qoq03JLVk7s
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made in memory of Wanda to St. Luke’s Hospital -> Designation -> Home Care and Hospice.
https://www.stlukesonline.org/about-st-lukes/donate-or-volunteer/make-an-online-donation
Arrangements are under the direction of Bowman Funeral Parlor of Garden City.
Condolences(8)-
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Teresa a Dalrymple says
January 27, 2022 at 10:19 amMy condolences to all of during this time .love and hugs . Rest in peace my dear friend always and forever in my heart..
Jennifer Brown says
January 28, 2022 at 5:25 pmThanks for your condolences Teresa. And thank you for taking good care of and being such a good friend to Mom 🙂 We are truly grateful. Take good care. ~ Jen
Lori Ewens says
January 29, 2022 at 2:40 pmLord,
Thank you for loving my soul. Thank you for tying my spirit to your Holy Spirit. By you I am joined to this world. You gave me my mother. You gave me my father and my brother and my sisters. You gave m my ancestors and my extended families. All in me is set in order by you Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Lori (Humphries) Ewens, proud daughter of Jim and Wanda Humphries
Cindy Balding says
January 31, 2022 at 5:01 pmDearest Wanda Woo and your beautiful amazing children, Jaime, Lori, Wally, Jennifer,
I am writing to you all to simply try and convey how very grateful and extremely
blessed I have been to have had the opportunity to share my days over the past year with Wanda, your beautiful awesome brave and so courageous momma! It has been my extreme pleasure getting to know both Wanda and all of you, her amazing beautiful children. I wish I were smarter, I wish I had an awesome vocabulary and could write more eloquently, so I could really put into words just how much you all have impacted my life in the best way possible! I thank you so very, very much, and thank you seems too small for the rewards I have gained from knowing all of you. I am so full of love and gratitude for this beautiful moment of time to have been so touched, changed and rewarded sharing my days with Wanda, I love her so very much! I miss her already! I think about you every day. Wanda Woo, you are a gift, a light, I was so very privileged to share my days with…you beat me at dominoes almost every time, your walks to keep yourself moving and your mind sharp always made me smile, YOU are so MISSED because you are the kind of person that brings out the best in everyone around you!! I’ll love you forever and will always be beyond grateful for having the opportunity to get to know you and share some precious time together.
Wally says
February 9, 2022 at 1:04 pmThank you Teresa and Cindy for your friendship with my Mom. For helping her with her daily needs. But above all, for making her laugh in the time together and brightening her day.
God bless you and keep you safe and well.
Love and peace, Wally
Elnora Lowry says
February 12, 2022 at 5:01 pmMy older sister, Wanda, was a good example for me. She was always looking out for my welfare. We were very young when we moved away from home together.
She and Jim introduced me to Jim’s good friend Jerry who became my husband and the love of my life. We enjoyed visits with Wanda and Jim’s family during the years when our children were growing up.
In later years, when Wanda visited here, we enjoyed walks with Mother and reminiscing about the good times we had shared together. When Wanda had just moved to Boise and lived in a condo, Mother went with Jerry and me to visit Wanda. Wanda and I got Mother into the swimming pool, which was quite an accomplishment, as Mother was deathly afraid of water! That was a fun experience for the three of us.
I am very thankful that Wanda moved near to her loving son and daughter-in-law, who cared for her and her home for many years. And thank you to all her children for providing loving care to Wanda during her last years of trial.
I have too many memories to recount them all here but cherish each of them in my heart. I will always love Wanda dearly.
Lori Ewens says
February 14, 2022 at 8:30 pmAunt Elnora, I’m thankful my mom had you as her sister closest in age to live life with. You were a good pair—not a match; that would have been boring. I had fun just being around the two of you—along with everyone else. Love you, Lori
Jim and Hilary Thomas says
February 17, 2022 at 10:37 amOur condolences to all of Wanda’s family. We were in 1970 blessed to have meet Wanda. We were trying to find an apartment and after no luck decided to advertise in the local paper. Our luck changed when Wanda called us to let us know she had the ground floor of their house for rent We were so lucky to have this beautiful couple with their 4 lovely children as landlords. We remember feeling so safe there.. Time goes on and after leaving the apartment we didn’t meet again until 1990 in Chula Vista. and this was the last time we met. We always kept in touch and Wanda sent us her beautiful poems. Wanda always was close to our hearts and our memoires are of her kindness, love for her husband and children and her spiritual nature. May she now rest in peace after a life well lived.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks donations to be made in memory of Wanda to St. Luke’s Hospital -> Designation -> Home Care and Hospice.
https://www.stlukesonline.org/about-st-lukes/donate-or-volunteer/make-an-online-donation
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