Wanda Lamberth Donaldson

A celebration of life for Wanda Lamberth Donaldson, 82, of Temple will be 11 a.m. Tuesday at First United Methodist Church in Temple with Rev. Hubert Austin officiating. Burial in Hillcrest Cemetery will be a private family service. Mrs. Donaldson died Friday, July 27, in a Temple hospital. She was born on Feb. 18, 1930, to Doyle Lee and Lona I.V. Little Lamberth in Teague, Texas. She graduated from Temple High School as Salutatorian in 1947. She graduated from Baylor University in 1950 with a bachelor's degree in history and education. She received a master's degree of education from Prairie View A&M University of Texas in 1980. She first worked for Moody ISD, where she met her future husband, Bill Donaldson. The couple married in March 1951. In 1951, she went to work for Temple ISD as a teacher at Reagan Junior High. In 1957, she transferred to Travis Junior High, and in 1969 she became Dean of Girls at Temple High School. She would later serve as Dean of Students and Dean of Student Activities before retiring in 1990. She was a member of First United Methodist Church of Temple. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother, Doyle Lee Lamberth, Jr., and her husband of 34 years, Bill Donaldson, who retired as administrator of Santa Fe Hospital when it was sold to Scott & White. Her parents operated Lamberth's Grocery, located across the street from Reagan School on 5th Street. Her father would later serve as a Bell County Justice of the Peace. She was past president and served on the board of directors of the Ralph Wilson Youth Club. She served on the board of the Temple Public Library for 21 years with 11 years as its chairman. She appointed and assisted a committee which founded The Foundation of Temple Public Library in 1988. She served as secretary of the foundation from 1988 to1997 and was elected president for 1998. In 1983, she received the Best Friend Award from the Friends of the Temple Public Library. She served as president of District 12 Texas State Teachers Association, four years on the organization's state board of directors and several terms as a congressional contact, lobbying in Washington, D.C., for educational legislation. Mrs. Donaldson was a member of the Texas State Genealogical Society from 1991 to 2012, serving as district representative for two years, first vice-president for two years and state president for four years. She helped created the "Texas First Families" certificate recognition program, which has issued over 5600 certificates. Two hard-bound volumes listing the certificate recipients and ancestor names have been published. In 2000, she was given the Award of Merit by the Texas Historical Commission in recognition of her contributions to historic preservation. She was the founding president of the East Bell County Genealogical Society, which was begun in June 1991. Wanda served as President through 1997. The group nominated Wanda as the Texas Volunteer of the Year and she was presented with the award during a special awards banquet in Odessa. She joined the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1968, serving the Betty Martin Chapter as First Vice Regent in 1995-96. She joined the Daughters of the Republic of Texas in 1965, serving as President of the Ben Milam Chapter from 1990 through 1993. She received the DRT Star Award in 1996. She assisted the Freestone County (TX) Historical Survey Committee in researching and obtaining a Texas State Historical Marker for the grave of Captain Richard Haley at Salem Cemetery at Freestone, Texas. Captain Haley was her ancestor and participated in the Siege of Bexar and the Texas Revolution. As a member of the Bell County (TX) Historical Survey Committee, she assisted in securing several Texas State Historical Markers for Bell County. She researched Civil War General John Bell Hood and presented the address at the unveiling ceremony for Hood's marker on North Main Street in Temple. She was a charter member of the Siege of Bexar Descendants, a life member of The Jamestowne Society, a life member of the Descendants of Ancient Planters and a life member of the Society of the Descendants of the Colonial Clergy. Survivors include a son, Jody Donaldson and wife Janet of Temple; two daughters, Cindy Fowler and husband Guy of Temple and Terri Pearce and husband Bobby of Lohn; four grandchildren; Jason Fowler and wife Jocelyn of Collingswood, NJ, Kevin Pearce and wife Katherine of San Angelo, Brook Fowler Koerner and husband Dustin of Austin, and Brandon Pearce of Temple; one great-grandson, Landon Pearce of San Angelo; and a beloved cousin, Claire Hale of Montgomery, Texas. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Temple Public Library Geneaology Collection or to a charity of choice. Scanio-Harper Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. Monday at the funeral home.