Gracie Marie Warthen was born on July 17, 1927 in Benedict North County Nebraska to Irvin Glen Warthen and Winnifred Gladys Rusler. She had 4 older brothers and was born the 5th child. She later had 1 additional brother and 1 sister Lillian (whom she was very close to)
In Gracie’s early days she is remembered for Rollerskating, and being a good student. She moved to California on December 8, 1943, and did not believe it was Christmas time due to the weather. Lillian remembers her rollerskating in Nebraska and California. It took 6 months to find a 2 bedroom house for the 9 of them to live in after arriving in California. In her early adulthood she would go with Agnus to the USO and dance with single sailors during the war. She was a tom boy and Lala was the princessey one.
In 1948 she married James Newman Meadows in La Crescenta, California and together they had 3 sons, Michael, Patrick, and Barney. They would often go western dancing together. James passed away in 1957 from brain cancer leaving her to raise their 3 young boys alone. She devoted much time to raising her sons and wanted them to have the best of everything. She worked two jobs (one was at Sears in the candy department, and selling drapery), and had them in little league, cub scouts and boy scouts. She could be found camping in a tent for a week so her boys could be at scout outings sometimes sleeping in the back of the light blue stationwagon. She also loved the Beach and Beach camping.
In 1965 she met Joseph Stanley Sanders and they married in early 1966. She inherited 3 sons with this marriage Gordon, Charles, and Stanley. In 1967 Stanley and Gracie had 1 additional son Randy together. Stan and Gracie were married for 32 years at the time of Stan’s Passing in 1998. She was always a caregiver often times to her own husband Stan. If you knew Gracie at all you knew she always had kids around. Wether they were the neighborhood kids as friends to her own kids, or those she provided daycare for, she always had kids around. She preferred babies the best because they could not talk back or say “NO” and especially she was fond of girl babies after 7 boys ! No matter what, if you needed someone to tend your children, she would add them to her FAMILY. Everyone who entered her door became FAMILY!
Gracie loved to watch and support Stan with his hobbies and supported his fishing camping, bowling, and poker nights. Gracie loved teasing people constantly, but always did so with love and compassion. Her favorite tease was to ask you when you were going to have a girl for her… Gracie hated dresses and especially wearing one herself. Gracie was known as the giver, always wanting to take care of others, and share what she had with anyone in need. Gracie is survived by her 4 sons, 2 stepsons, grandchildren, and many great grandchildren. She is also survived by countless children that she helped mold their lives when she tended them.
Gracie passed from this earth life on April 19, 2020 after a very brief illness that she recovered from but it caused her lungs to be weakened. She was loved by many and will be missed by all greatly.
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