Wanda Lafaye Autry

Wanda Autry

August 9, 1934 – August 15, 2023

Wanda Autry, 89, died on Tuesday, August 15, 2023, at her home near Cuthbert, TX.

The service for Mrs. Autry will be held at 2:00 PM on Sunday, August 20th at Vincent Baptist Church with Howard Stovall officiating. A private family burial will follow at Cuthbert Cemetery. Arrangements are under the direction of Bell-Cypert-Seale Funeral Home.

Wanda was born August 9, 1934, near Buford, TX to Willard and Muriel (Craghead) Thurman. At 16 she was Valedictorian of her 1951 Colorado High graduating class and promptly married Jake Autry June 4, 1951, near Cuthbert, TX.

Wanda was a walking encyclopedia full of knowledge and wisdom. Before Google was Wanda. You could ask her anything and if she didn’t know she would go look it up and find the information. She could have had any career she wanted but chose to be a wife and helper to Jake and a mother to five kids. She was unselfish and did everything that was asked of her and lots that wasn’t.

In 1988, Wanda left Texas and moved to the Alamo Ranch north of Fort Sumner, New Mexico, in support of Jake’s dream of cattle ranching. She helped Jake with feeding, working calves, and heifers calving in the middle of the night and did it willingly. After twenty-one years of ranching, they moved back home to be near family in Texas.

In between helping Jake and raising kids she loved to read. She could shut out the world and five loud kids when she was reading a good book. She also loved to sew and enjoyed quilting after she moved back to Texas. She loved to grow plants and had them everywhere. She was determined to never let any of their large garden produce go to waste. She would can, freeze, and give it away.

She loved to sing and always had a song in her heart even when times were hard which was most of the time. She loved her kids and grandkids and never missed sending them cash for Christmas, birthdays, and during their college years.

Wanda had a heart that loved her friends, church, and her extended family as well as Jake’s. I don’t know that she loved washing dishes but at church or family gatherings you could always find her washing dishes and serving others.

Most of all Wanda loved her savior Jesus. He was her source of strength in all of her life. In droughts, in farming, heartache, and in times of suffering of her family and friends. Jesus was her joy and strength. Her main desire is that she would see all of you again in heaven.

She is survived by:

1) Son:
Lance Autry and wife Sherry, Colorado City, TX

3) Daughters:
Linda Autry, Victoria, TX
Beverly Pfau and husband James, Colorado City, TX
Angeline Stovall and husband Howard, Cisco, TX

Sister: Nelda Davis, Lubbock, TX;

Sister-in-law: Sara Thurman, Wimberly, TX

9) Grandchildren:
Heather (Jeremiah) Holland, Anchorage, AK
Delanie (Andrew “Mack”) McElroy, Grape Creek, TX
Virginia (Brett) Thompson, Hereford, AZ
Cyndi Wilsdorf, East Peoria, IL
Jessica (Cory) Higgins, Clyde, TX
Ben (Camry) Stovall, Cisco, TX
Zac (Rachel) Stovall, Cisco, TX
Terryn (Manny) Castañon, Austin, TX
Taylor (Joel) Watson, Snyder, TX

16 Great Grandchildren

18 Nieces and Nephews

She was preceded in death by:

Husband: Jake Autry

Son: David Autry

Brother: Wayman Thurman

Visitation will be on Sunday, August 20th at 1:00 PM in the Vincent Baptist Church Fellowship Hall.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to:

Vincent Baptist Church for the support of missionaries Shawn & Lauren Hart

c/o Cheryl McCall

604 Bucknell

Big Spring, TX 79720

Arms of Hope - Medina Children’s Home

21300 State Highway 16

Medina, TX 78055

Online Condolences may be posted at www.bellcypertseale.com