Wana Batson

February 29, 1952 – September 16, 2025

Wana Kaye Batson, 73, of Winnabow, North Carolina, born on February 29, 1952, in Brunswick County, passed away peacefully at her home on September 16, 2025, after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer.

Wana was the proud daughter of George R. Hickman and Gladys Eloise Hickman. She was preceded in death by her parents and by her sister, Rita Hickman. She is survived by her devoted husband of 51 years, Harry Lee Batson; her children, Byron Batson (wife, Jennifer) and Tammi Batson Fries (husband, Jared); and her beloved grandchildren, Brooke Batson, Layla Fries, and Abigail Fries. She is also survived by her siblings, Tim Hickman, Lana Williams, Marsha Lineberger, and Edsel Hickman.

A lifelong resident of Winnabow, Wana poured her heart into loving her family and serving both her community and her church, Mill Creek Baptist, where she was a faithful servant of the Lord. She had a special heart for the deaf community, establishing the Deaf Mission Fund at Mill Creek to help provide financial support to the Morganton Deaf Church. She loved raising her children, cheering at her son’s baseball games and daughter’s volleyball matches, and later watching her grandchildren grow.

She will be remembered for her unwavering love for her family, her quick wit, and the countless lives she touched with her kindness. Known for her determination and reliability, she was the one others could always count on to see things through. She found joy in the flowers that bloomed on the family’s land and carried with her the lessons of hard work instilled by her parents. Deeply generous, she often put the needs of others before her own and carried a spirit that was both strong and tender.

Those who knew her will remember her as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend and as an enduring example of grace, strength, and love.

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, September 20, 2025 at three o'clock in the afternoon at Mill Creek Baptist Church with Rev. Jared Galloway and Rev. Danny Justice officiating. Burial will follow in the Willetts Cemetery.

The family will receive friends following the graveside service at the Church Fellowship Hall.

Online condolences may be offered to the Batson family at www.whitefuneralservicesupply.com