She was preceded in death by her parents John and Ruth Westall Swope, stepmother Mary Hannah Swope, her husbands, Paul Litherland and Patrick Diver, her sister, Mary Ellen Pinkstaff, and two grandchildren. She is survived by her brother, J. Richard Swope, Edmond, Oklahoma; her four children: Steve Litherland and his wife Tena, Oak Ridge, Tennessee; Jane Reedus and her husband Mike, Lawrenceville, Illinois; Martha Carroll and her husband John Finks, Oak Park, Texas; and Scott Litherland, Indianapolis, Indiana; her step-daughters: Sylvia Pulleyblank (George Ivers), Lawrenceville, Illinois; and Rebecca McKay and her husband, John, Greer, South Carolina; and, her beloved seven grandchildren, three great grandchildren, 19 step grandchildren, 21 step great grandchildren and one great grandchild on the way.
Wanda was born in Vincennes, Indiana in 1925, moved with her family to Lawrenceville at a young age, and later moved to Salem, Illinois as a teen, where she graduated from Salem High School. She married Paul F. Litherland in April 1945. Following WWII, Wanda and Paul moved to his parents’ farm near St. Francisville, where she raised her family, worked on the farm, and lived her remaining years. She and Patrick Diver were married in April 2005, and shared their years together on the farm and at their winter residence in Tavares. She was employed at the United Methodist Village in Lawrenceville for more than 20 years, where she served residents in many capacities.
Wanda was generous with her time and talents – her philanthropy and the reach of her service to others were broad, touching thousands of lives globally. Among her contributions: she helped to build churches and schools in Jamaica and Haiti, where she also sponsored school supply projects; routinely delivered meals and communion to shut-ins; taught hundreds of children in Sunday School; and, for many years, lead fundraising efforts for global food relief including annual CROP Walk and Church World Service. Wanda was a lifelong member of the First Christian Church of Lawrenceville, where she served as Deacon and Elder and in myriad other voluntary roles, including teaching Sunday School with Paul for many years. She also served as a Deacon and Elder at Central Christian Church in Mt. Dora, Florida. She served on the Southern Illinois Senior Citizens Board, and also helped develop and operate Close Encounters – an after-school program providing activities and education for children at the First Christian Church of Lawrenceville. In recent years, she also tutored English for immigrants including prep for their citizenship exams.
Wanda enjoyed nature and travel, meticulously planning summer vacations and camping trips for her family. Over the past two decades, she enjoyed wide-ranging trips with family and friends, including to Alaska, Hawaii, China, Ireland, England, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Israel, Ukraine, Jamaica and Haiti. She was a voracious reader – often reading multiple books at the same time, as well as an avid card player. Wanda always loved learning, and sought opportunities to improve her skills. She completed several college classes and also studied piano. She enjoyed square dancing. Lastly, she was an enthusiastic St. Louis Cardinal fan, and enjoyed listening to broadcasts of the games, attending home games, and regularly checking the box scores in the newspaper.
Arrangements will be at Emmons-Macey & Steffey Funeral Home, 1303 State Street, Lawrenceville, Illinois, on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, with visitation 11am-1pm, and funeral service at 1pm. Wanda’s many friends and acquaintances are encouraged to celebrate her remarkable life. She will be laid to rest in the Lawrenceville City Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in Wanda’s memory may be made to the First Christian Church of Lawrenceville, the Lawrenceville Library for books or the Tavares Florida Library Adult Literacy Program.