She was born in Seminole County, Oklahoma on March 25, 1933 to her late parents, Sidney and Ethel Coker Petree. Wanda attended several elementary schools in Oklahoma. She graduated eighth grade from Prairie View Elementary School as Salutatorian in 1946.
The family transferred to Louisiana in 1947 where Barnsdall Oil Company built the West Tepetate facility. Several company houses were built to accommodate families who were transferred in to operate the plant.
Wanda attended Elton High School and graduated in 1951 as Valedictorian. She participated in the sports activities, played a clarinet in the band, sang in the choir, and was a member of the honor club.
In 1954, she received her degree in Secretarial Science Education from Louisiana College. This gave her a choice of teaching or doing secretarial work. She taught two years at Elton High School then decided to check on an office job. She tested for a Typist Clerk job with Petroleum Chemicals Inc, part of Cities Service in Sulphur.
In the fall of 1963, Sowela Technical Institute had an opening for an instructor in the Office Occupations Department. She taught there 29 years, retiring as Department Head of Office Occupations on June 30, 1992. Those were wonderful years, many wonderful students interested in learning, and some interested in brushing up on the skills needed to go back to work.
She was married to James Blanchard for 17 years. This marriage ended in divorce.
In 1977 when she went to City Hall to pay city taxes, she chatted with a neighbor who worked at Cities Service with a man who had lost his wife. Leroy and Peggy invited Roland and Wanda into their home for coffee. It turned out to be a wonderful meeting. Roland Tackett and Wanda Blanchard had so much in common. They dated for two years and were married on March 2, 1979. It was a beautiful relationship. They have been blessed and God has given them a blessed life. They have traveled to many places in the U.S., Canada, Nova Scotia, and drove to Alaska. God has created so many unique places. Each state has its own specialties. God even allowed them to be in Campers On Mission to help build churches and do maintenance and cleanup work at Baptist Campgrounds.
God also allowed them to be members of the Agin Cajuns Senior Adult Choir at Sulphur First Baptist Church. They sang in many places and attended many places for conferences. Another membership was the Agin Cajun Mustangers Club. The Ford Mustang was a favorite vehicle. She was a member of the Ukelele Band at Maplewood First Baptist Church.
Wanda had been a Christian for many years. God has blessed her so much. He was always ever present in her life. She taught Sunday School classes at several churches in the Sulphur area. She had been most recently a member of Houston River Baptist Church in Sulphur. It had been a joy through the years to watch her children participate in recreational activities. She also enjoyed watching her grandchildren participate in recreational activities.
She is preceded in death by her parents, Sidney and Ethel Coker Petree; son, Charles Randall Blanchard; her sisters, Deretha Jean Istre and Carolyn Sue Hinton and brother-in-law, Laurence Bruchhaus; along with her great-great grandson, Bowen James Kyle.
Left to cherish her memory are her husband of 47 years, Lelus Roland Tackett; her children, Ronald Wayne Petree and wife, Bonnie of Welsh, Douglas James Blanchard and wife, Lorie of Calera, Alabama, Sydney Cherie Kyle and husband, Melvin of Carlyss; her sister, Shirley Ann Bruchhaus; step-daughters, Vicki Strahan and husband, Delbert of Lake Charles and Stefani Ortego and husband, Keith of Ragley; thirteen grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. She also leaves behind a number of step-grandchildren, step-great-grandchildren, and step great-great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Wanda's life will be held at Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home on Thursday, July 23, 2026, at 11:00 am, with Pastor Lonnie Gothrup officiating. Visitation will be at Hixson-Sulphur Memorial Funeral Home on Thursday beginning at 9:30 am until the time of the service. Burial will be at Mimosa Pines South Cemetery in Carlyss.
The family would like to thank High Hope Care Center and Brighton Bridge Hospice for their exceptional care for Wanda over the last year and a half. Also a special thanks to Houston River Baptist Church for their love and support.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and/or The College of the Ozarks in Hollister, Missouri.
Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.hixsonsulphurmemorial.com.
