Mrs. Wanda deLay Ekelund

Born October 10, 1927, Shreveport, Louisiana, Adopted daughter of James Nicholas and Ruby (Mosley) Moore. Graduated with honors from Jena High School, Jena, Louisiana, 1945, with scholarship opportunity to Louisiana State University (LSU). However, she opted to marry her WW2 veteran hero, Melvin Carl Ekelund, on September 28, 1945 in Alexandria, Louisiana, after they had corresponded for 42 months while he was deployed to Ireland, Algeria, North Africa, Italy and Brazil without leave.

As a young post-war married couple they lived in Jackson, Mississippi; Gadsden, Alabama; Montgomery, Alabama and eventually Mobile, Alabama where she was employed as a switchboard operator at Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph Company. Later, she was employed at the Air Force Materials Supply Depot at Brookley Air Force Base in Mobile.

In 1950, she left career opportunities to be a STAY-AT-HOME mother to her son in 1950, and her daughter in 1953. The couple retired to Spanish Fort, Alabama in 1984, and later to Fairhope, Alabama in 2004. Mrs. Ekelund moved to Homestead Village in 2013 and was further provided loving care at Fairhope Health & Rehab in 2017, where she resided until death.

Mrs. Ekelund was preceded in death by her parents, Nick & Ruby Moore; by her husband, Melvin, of 62 years in 2007; and a grandson, Jacob Anthony Ekelund, in March 2020.

She is survived by her son: James Melvin (Ronda) Ekelund of Fairhope, Alabama, her daughter, Jeanine deLay (Timothy) Price of Germantown, Tennessee, loving niece, Donna Jones of Mobile, Alabama and especially tender caregiver, Loretta Lawson, of Daphne, Alabama. She is further survived by four grandchildren: Justin (Amber) Price of Memphis TN., Ashley Price of St. Louis MO., Shelby (Andrew) Cox of Germantown TN., Savannah (Scott) Sumners of Madison, AL. 5 great-grandchildren: Kayden Levie Price; Nicholas Anarie Price; Sadie James Sumners, Hattie Mae Sumners and Langston Ekelund Price.

The family will receive friends on Friday, September 4, 2020 from 10:00am until time of funeral services at 11:00am, at Pine Crest Funeral Home, 1939 Dauphin Island Parkway, Mobile, AL. 36605. Officiating will be Mr. Randy Satterfield and Mr. Charles Vaughn. Ms. Ruth Warner will lead commitment services. Funeral & Burial Services conducted by Pine Crest Funeral Home.