Wanda Margaret Ireland Sutton Spradlin

Wanda Margaret Ireland Sutton Spradlin

July 7, 1931 - April 7, 2019

Wanda Spradlin passed away April 7 2019 in Taft California.

Wanda Margaret Ireland Sutton Spradlin was born in St. Elmo, Illinois on July 7, 1931– the youngest child of Jim and Nancy Sweetland Ireland. Wanda had a twenty- month older sister, Alta Ireland, to welcome the new baby home. Wanda was a happy and busy child. She loved school, and entered into everything she could. When she was in the third grade, the family moved to Vandalia, Illinois for a couple of years, and then to Tower Hill, Illinois where her grandmother lived. Wanda always liked school and graduated in 1949 as High School Valedictorian of her class. She had many earned awards, including a full college scholarship. While attending Eastern Illinois State Teachers College in Charleston, Illinois, she met a local young man named Gerald Dean (Mike) Sutton. They were married in 1951. Later, they moved to Taft, California to find better work. She finished college and earned her teaching credential through Fresno State College. She had a very good marriage with two children – Michael Dean Sutton and Patricia Sue Sutton. Later they adopted an eleven-year old daughter named Mary Sutton to round out the family. Wanda taught elementary school in the Taft area for 28 years, with two years in Bradley in Monterey County, and spent l6 years teaching in the neighboring community of McKittrick. Her husband, Mike Sutton, worked for 34 years for Mobil Oil Corp., West Coast Pipelines, but in May 1988 he died from a malignant brain tumor. Wanda retired in June 1987 to be home with her husband. She was energetic and fun-loving, and had a zest for life. She loved her Lord, and her faith was deep. She never hesitated to share that faith with anyone she met.

She was very caring about her family and many friends. She loved to give her time and efforts to anyone who needed it.

In July 1989, she married William (Bill)Spradlin, whom she and Mike had known for many years. They bought a big motor home and traveled all over the USA, and also went on many cruises, including to Alaska, Colombia, Panama Canal, and Mexico. They took up square dancing and made many new friends. Bill also retired from Mobil Oil. They had a very happy marriage. He had a passion for living life, he worked hard, he was dependable, he was honest, and he had amazing moral principles. Later, Bill was stricken with and died from Alzheimer’s Disease.

She is preceded in life by: her parents, James and Nancy Ireland; her beloved husbands, Mike Sutton and Bill Spradlin; and her sister, Alta Reedy. She leaves children Dean and Adriana Sutton, Pattie and Tim McDonald, and Mary and Jim

Walters; grandsons Trenton Unruh, Taylor and Julie Unruh, Scott and Karen Walters, and Jason and Annette Walters. She leaves nieces Susie Shannon and Melody Alden, and nephews Larry, Ron and Jack Reedy.

Funeral services will be at Erickson and Brown Funeral Home, 501 Lucard Street, Taft, CA on Monday, April 15, 2019, at 10:00 am, followed immediately by graveside service at Westside Cemetery, Taft. 

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