Wanda Lee Leighton Gard, 88, passed from this life to her heavenly home on Tuesday, January 5, 2016 in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Visitation will be all day Friday, January 8, 2016 and Wanda’s family will receive friends at the funeral home from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. Funeral services will be held at 10:30 AM on Saturday, January 9, 2016 at the First Baptist Church in Clayton, New Mexico with Rev. Kyle Bueermann and Rev. Billy Rammage officiating. Internment will follow in the Clayton Memorial Cemetery by Hass Funeral Directors of Clayton, New Mexico.
Wanda was born in Woodward, Oklahoma in 1927 to Ray and Leathia Leighton. She moved with her family to establish a ranch homestead three miles south of Clayton, New Mexico and attended Clayton Public schools and graduated from Clayton High School in 1945. She obtained her teaching certificate from the University of New Mexico and taught school at Sedan NM for two years. She was learning to fly an airplane when she met John M. Gard who had been a Navigator in the Army Air Corps during World War II. They were married in 1948 on May 23rd and settled on their farm/ranch 45 miles west of Clayton, near Gladstone, in a house John and his father had built. They had six children, Mary, Ernest, Marvin, Diane, John, Jr. and June. On their ranch, they raised Registered Herefords. While their children were involved in the Happy Rock 4-H Club, Wanda served as a leader and was honorary leader for many years after the children grew up. She was a member of the New Mexico Cow Belles, an advocacy group instrumental in promoting the beef cattle industry. She was actively involved in the Union County Health Fair organization and production. For many years, Wanda was active in the Gladstone Extension Club. She loved baking pies every year for the annual Clayton Rodeo barbecue. Wanda was very dedicated to accomplishing the objective at hand and went about helping make it happen. Faith and family were very important to Wanda. She lovingly taught her children and grandchildren about God and lived as an example of humility, servitude, compassion, and worship as she sang and whistled hymns while she worked. John and Wanda were active in the Farley Community Church. She was a Sunday school teacher, song leader and filled in on the piano. When the Farley church closed, they became members of the First Baptist Church in Clayton. She taught a Sunday school class there for a while. She cooked countless meals, attended special family events like births, graduations, ball games (She didn’t care how far the drive was… she needed to be there.) and livestock shows, and kept her children and grandchildren updated and in touch with one another as their lives kept them busy and going in different directions. While her piety and service to her family and community belied an humble and even passive demeanor, her strength and wit proved she was not one with which to be trifled. When she decided to get her pilot license, for example, her father challenged that she would break her neck. She retorted that he could just as easily break his neck on the ground while riding a horse or taking part in the rodeo. Her 6ft 4in husband also knew exactly when he had crossed the line.
Wanda was preceded in death by her parents Ray and Leathia Leighton, her daughter Diane, her sisters, Nina Louise Leighton, Alta Wilson, Eunice Roberts, Vera Northrup Osborne, and Verda Lawrence, her sister-in-law Margaret Atwood, her son-in-law Ricki Coffman, and her husband, John Gard.
SURVIVORS:
1 BROTHER: Marvin Leighton and his wife Carolyn of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
2 DAUGHTERS: Mary Coffman of Ropesville, Texas and June Gard and her husband Lloyd of Las Cruces, New Mexico.
3 SONS: Ernest Gard and and his wife Lorie of Clovis, New Mexico, Marvin Gard and his wife Diane of Santa Fe, New Mexico and John Gard, Jr and his wife CeCe of Clayton, New Mexico.
13 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She is also survived by Kathie Perea, her caretaker and dear friend in Santa Fe.
MEMORIALS: The family suggests memorials be sent to: Union County Health Fair, PO Box 428, Clayton, New Mexico 88415. Attn: Mary Bleiker, Treasurer.
