Wanda Crews

Wanda was born April 20, 1941 to H.T Ward, Jr. and Inez Rister Ward on the Ward farm in Lee County, Texas in the Shalom community. They moved from the farm in Lee county to Bandera and then finally settled in Granger, Texas. It was on that farm in Granger, that she learned to “pick and hoe” a little cotton but refused to gather the eggs from the hen’s because she was afraid the “laying” hen would peck her. She attended and graduated from Granger High School in 1959 as class Co-Valedictorian with her best friend Janelle Anderson. In 1960, while attending the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, she went to church in Prairie Dell one Sunday morning with one of her Journalism professors. It was after that church service that she met a young man by the name of James Crews. She had no idea that attending church on that Sunday in that small little country church would lead her to the love of her life. On June 3, 1961 she married, that love, in the First Baptist Church of Granger and thus began their 56 years of marriage. She went back to the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor and finished her degree in 1966.

They started their lives together in Bartlett in August 1961, James was a teacher and coach with the Bartlett Independent School District while Wanda finalized her degree from UMHB. When she was finished at UMHB, Wanda was a high school business teacher, at Bartlett High School until they were blessed with the adoption of their children. It was at that time, she retired from teaching to become a full-time, stay at home mom to Christy and later to Kevin. James and Wanda joined the First Baptist Church upon moving to Bartlett in 1961 where she was a life-long devoted member, Sunday School teacher, VBS director, nursery keeper and “Grannie” to many “adopted” grandchildren.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, H.T and Inez Ward; her in-laws, W.C. and Ella V Crews; her brother, Charles Marvin Ward; sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Selma and Alvin Watson; her brothers-in-law, Clyde, Curtis and Floyd Crews; and her son, Kevin Ward Crews. Survivors include daughter, Christy and husband Stan Fischer of Georgetown; grandchildren, Andrea Kauitzsch of Belton (UMHB), Nik Fischer of Georgetown, Brittany Fischer of Cypress and Chris Fischer of Nacogdoches(SFA); Ted Crews of Conroe and Michelle Robertson of Holland; Brother, H.T. and wife Barbara Ward of Salado Brother-in-law, David Leo & wife Wilda Crews of Lancaster, Sister-in-law, Nelda Crews of Sherman, Aunts, Helen Mirtsching and husband W.M. of Dallas, and Evelyn Dutton of Wylie along with numerous nieces and nephews.

A visitation for Wanda will be held at the Goodnight Funeral Chapel in Bartlett, Texas on Sunday, April 28th from 6-8 pm and Funeral services will be held Monday April 29th at 10 am at the First Baptist Church of Bartlett with Bro. Kelly Boggs officiating. Burial will follow at the Granger City Cemetery.

Arrangements under the direction of Goodnight Funeral Home, Bartlett, TX

The family would request memorials be given to the James and Wanda Crews Endowed Scholarship and the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, 900 College St Box 8409., Belton, Texas 76513.