Wanda Fern Clark

Wanda Fern Grant Clark, 95, of Shawnee, Oklahoma, went home to the Lord on August 4, 2026. Born at home in Buffalo, Missouri, January 14, 1931, she was the daughter of Floyd James and Lora Fern Grant and twin sister of Warren Scott Grant. Weighing a pound and a half each, Wanda and Warren were kept warm together in a shoebox on the door of a wood-burning stove. People later remarked that God wanted them to live.

Wanda grew up on a farm north of Buffalo, Missouri and later moved with her family to Roswell, New Mexico, where her father pastored a small country church. Faith and music were woven into Wanda’s life. In her father’s church, she and Warren played organ together, with Warren managing the pedals because Wanda could not reach them.

Wanda earned a three-year Bible college degree at Central Bible College in Springfield, Missouri and later studied music education at Oklahoma Baptist University.

She met Donald “Don” Clark at a youth rally, where she and her friends hoped to meet some handsome servicemen. Sergeant Clark, Don, was asked to sing, and he called for a pianist. Wanda’s friends pointed toward her, and she went to the stage to accompany him. Music brought them together, but their faith would become the foundation of their partnership.

They married on February 6, 1954, at First Baptist Church in Alamogordo, where Wanda’s father officiated and Warren accompanied her down the aisle. Don earned many degrees during their marriage. While he pursued his first, they lived together with their infant son David in a small trailer. Years later, Wanda typed his doctoral dissertation while raising their five children, working full-time for many of those years.

Wanda embraced motherhood with devotion, humor, and wisdom. She worked at Oklahoma Baptist University, Shawnee Anesthesiology, and for Dr. John Robinson. Later, she served as an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Shawnee and eventually became its Christian Education Director. She sometimes played the church’s pipe organ. She played piano throughout her life, even days before her passing.

As a preacher’s kid, Wanda learned to look out for others. Her faith and love of people defined her.

She is survived by her children, David, Paul, Ken, and Sharon, and grandchildren and great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her daughter, Donna Fern Clark, in 1984; her husband, Don, in 2022; her twin brother, Warren, in 2022; and her parents.

Friends and loved ones may pay their respects at Walker Funeral & Cremation Service on Sunday, August 16, 2026 from 1:00-5:00 p.m. with the family present to greet friends from 3:00-5:00 p.m. A Celebration of Wanda's Life will be held Monday, August 17, at 10:00 a.m., at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, Shawnee. The service will be livestreamed and available later at https://www.youtube.com/@EECShawnee. Wanda will be laid to rest next to her beloved husband Donald Tuesday, August 18th, 10:00 a.m., at Oaklawn Cemetery, Sulphur, Oklahoma.

Arrangements are under the direction of Walker Funeral & Cremation Service.