Wanda Connor

Wanda is the beloved Mother of Tony Connor & his wife, Jolini, as well as Cathy MacKenzie & her husband Gil. She was also a devoted Grandmother of 7, Great Grandmother of 17 and soon to be a Great Great, aka Memommie. At age 70, she & her son, Tony began raising her great grandson, Tony II. She leaves behind a legacy of love to all her family, including her sister & brother-n-law, nieces, nephews, and cousins.

Wanda is the oldest of four girls, born in Frost, Texas to Ernest and Estle Travis Dunagan. They all preceded her in death, along with her husband of 46 years, Travis Connor. Her strong faith got her through all these tough losses, but the hardest of these which no mother should ever have to endure, were her eldest son, Ronnie Connor in 1978 and her middle son, Barry Connor Sr. in 2002.

Wanda and her husband Travis, were married in Fort Smith, Arkansas on June 24, 1950. In 1961, after becoming a family of six, they moved from their hometown of Italy, Texas to Grand Prairie, where they bought their first home and Wanda resided for the next 64 years. Wanda was only 15 and Travis 19 when they eloped but they said she 18. In 1964, a law was passed that stated the wife would not receive her husband’s social security benefits if they were under age and did not have their parents’ signature on their marriage certificate. So, after much humiliation to Wanda, all 4 of their children attended their second marriage vows in the front yard of Travis’ parents’ home. One hiccup was their oldest son, Ronnie, held up his hand when the minister, his uncle, asked if anyone objected to this marriage. Fortunately, Uncle Odes ignored Ronnie.

Wanda’s faith and commitment to her community were central to her life. She was a cherished member of the Gospel Lighthouse Church until recently when her health began declining and she started attending church with her kids, Tony and Jolini @ Calvary Family Worship Center. Wanda had many interests and achieved several goals, but she first raised her children before pursuing them. After her youngest started school, she began working in the school cafeteria and continued working for 3.5 years.

Wanda’s lists of volunteering is endless: School Room Mother, Sunday School teacher, Women’s Ministry leader, Vacation Bible School worker, Host for Senior potluck meals, Weekly volunteer @ local nursing home to sing hymns & read bible story, Driver to many seniors for church activities and doctor's visits who no longer drove, Christian counselor, and last but definitely not least, Memommie to her grands and great grandchildren which included lots of free babysitting/overnight stays. Wanda loved to read, watch game shows, and travel. Her dream trip came at the ripe young age of 80 when she traveled to the Holy Land and was baptized in the Jordan River. Daily, she read her devotionals, along with several chapters of her bible, then always ended by praying for all her family and friends. Her grandchildren will fondly remember her by the lullabies & silly songs that she sang to them.

A Memorial Service will be held to celebrate Wanda Connor’s life at Bean Massey Burge Funeral Home, 2951 Beltline Rd, Grand Prairie, TX, 75052 on Feb. 26, 2025, at 11:00 AM, with her grandsons, Aaron Guthrie Sr & Jr officiating. Visitation @ 10AM on the morning of the Feb 26th. Graveside Services will follow at 2pm at the Italy, Tx Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, feel free to donate to the Salvation Army Emergency Relief Fund.