Wanda Bell Hughes

Wanda Hughes
Horses, Hot Wheels & Angels

Wanda Bell Elmer was born in 1924 on a homestead near Alicel, Oregon. She grew up on a cattle and wheat farm. Wanda would ride her horse to help drive the cattle through town to the summer pasture and back. Growing up she would ride her horse to a one room school house and was an accomplished equestrian. She was also voted May Queen in Eastern Oregon.

Wanda had a 1985 MR2 red sports car that she loved to drive. She was also very creative enjoying calligraphy and water color painting as well as carpentry. She had incredible energy and lived her life at full speed.

Wanda graduated from Oregon State College in 1946, with a bachelor's degree in Home Economics. She married Doug Hughes in November of 1947 after he returned from World War II. They were married for 57 years and raised 4 children. On Mother’s Day she would send Thank You cards to her children. Her family expanded to include 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Wanda passed on her love of Jesus to her family and was a mighty prayer warrior.

Wanda served as a faithful Sunday school teacher for over 50 years at First Baptist/River Valley Church in Grants Pass. She has taught multiple generations of children that Jesus Loves Them, teaching the children of children she had in her class and even their children. She taught 2 to 3 year old children and every Christmas dressed the children up as angels for the Christmas program.

Wanda met her precious Jesus on June 22, 2019. Mathew 19:14 “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Alex Sandeen: She loved children. I think it was the kid in her that kept her so involved with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, the countless thousands of toddlers that passed through her Sunday school classroom, the many kids that benefitted from her time with Child Evangelism, and all school age children that she encountered while substitute teaching (into her 70’s) at the schools.

If you were a dinner guest at her house, the meal was always fried chicken, mashed potatoes & gravy, jello with fruit in it, a seasonal vegetable like corn or green beans, expired soda, and a thin chocolate sheet cake with marshmallows and chocolate frosting. It never changed, you never wanted it to. It was delicious. She sliced pizza with scissors.

Jared Sandeen: Grandma or Wanda Hughes was and will continue to be a legend. Growing up in Cove Oregon taught her a connection to the land and the hard work life took to engage in the day to day grind yet never forgetting humor is your best medicine. She made four children Kayt, Jerry, Sue, and Tom who live fulfilling lives because of her influence. Wanda also lived over a decade after her husband Doug passed. Going to grandmas was always a funny delicious affair that left you knowing that heaven has come to earth. Grandma was an encounter with God.

Please join us for Wanda’s Memorial Service Saturday July 13th at 11:00 at River Valley Church. Come celebrate her life.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Child Evangelism Fellowship.