family by her side at Hendrick Hospice Care in Abilene, Texas. She was born on November 17, 1926
to Matthew Allen Nunn and Annie Cleveland Miller Nunn, in Clarksville, Red River County, Texas.
Wanza would say she lived a full life, filled with lots of love and blessings.
She was the youngest of 9 children, 1 brother and 7 sisters, and would tell stories of growing up in Red
River County, where she graduated from Clarksville High School, at the age of 16. Following
graduation, she and her mother moved out to West Texas with her brother and his family, settling on a
farm North of the small town of Loraine. She considered her nieces and nephews more like brothers
and sisters, since she was the baby of her family, and was always very close to them.
Wanza told the story of how she was baptized in a stock tank at the age of 16. She went to a tent
revival and invited Jesus into her heart and became a member of the Mt. Pleasant Baptist Church. Later
after marriage she attended the First Baptist Church of Loraine and taught in the children’s Sunday
School classes, and enjoyed helping with Vacation Bible School in the Summer.
At the age of 19, Wanza met and fell in love with her husband, Bobbie Graham, while he was on leave
from the Navy. They wrote letters back and forth while he was away, and when he came home again
on leave, they were married, January 5, 1946, by a minister near Hermleigh, in the minister’s home.
They set up housekeeping on a small farm near the Graham home place. In December 1946, their first
child, Dwayne, was born. They moved into Loraine where their family grew, adding 4 girls, Brenda,
Glenda, Debby and Dianne. Later the family moved a mile North of Loraine on the Hart place, where
many special memories were made as the children grew up.
She was a loving caring wife and mother and loved helping others. When the children were a little
older, she made the decision to go to work at Root Memorial Hospital, driving back and forth from
Loraine to Colorado City. To be closer to her work, the family moved to Colorado City in 1961.
In 1972, after the 4 older children graduated from High School, Bobbie and Wanza, along with their
youngest daughter, Dianne, moved back to Loraine. Back in Loraine, she worked for Dr. Bruce
Johnson as his receptionist and joined the Loraine Extension Homemaker Club and enjoyed going to
conventions with the ladies and had lots of Good Times.
Wanza and Bobbie both retired in 1987 to enjoy traveling and being MawMaw and PawPaw to their 13
grandchildren. They were active in the Loraine Senior Citizens, where they celebrated their 50th
Anniversary.
After 68 years of marriage, Bobbie passed away, February 6, 2014. Wanza lived alone until after her
90th birthday, when she made the decision to move to the Mitchell County Nursing home in Colorado
City, Texas, where she lived until her death.
She is preceded in death by her parents; husband, Bobbie Ray Graham, brother, Sherman Ross; sisters,
Maggie Butler, Mildred Martin, Vennie (Bill) Brown, Adell Brown Smith, Zelma Crenshaw, Myrtle
Melton, and an infant sister. Also, an infant great-granddaughter, Felicity Turnage.
She is survived by:
5 Children: Bobby Dwayne Graham (Patti), Brenda Linam, Glenda Hemphill (Mike), Debby Carlock
(Tom) and Dianne Hughes (Willis)
13 grandchildren, Chad Harman (Crystal), Elizabeth Evans (Sean), Jennifer Turnage (Callan), Holly
Dewbre (Michael), Cory Carlock (Michele); Cody Hughes (Amy); Jill Bixler, Kim Shipp (David),
Jason Graham (Amy), Cade Carlock, Ley Hemphill (Larrah), Mindy Jones (Joe Bob), and Stefanie
Haralson (Jon); 24 great grandchildren, and 1 great-great grandson.
Pallbearers: Chad Harman, Cody Hughes, Jason Graham, Cade Carlock, Ley Hemphill and Callan
Turnage.
Visitation will be Sunday, May 8, 2022, from 6 - 8 pm at Kiker-Seale Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held at the First Baptist Church of Loraine on Monday, May 9, 2022 at 10 am,
with Rev. Donald Ward officiating. Burial following in the Loraine Cemetery.
Song Director Geory Martin
Soloist: Debby Mitchell
Soloist: Cade Carlock
Pianist: Mary Margaret Cox
Please consider, in lieu of flowers, making donations to:
First Baptist Church of Loraine, Hendrick Hospice Care of Abilene, or to a charity of your choice.
Those wishing are encouraged to share a memory by visiting www.kikerseale.com
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