On February 9th, 1935 Wanda Lou Colton was born to Edwin Cheever Colton and Amanda Lucille Curtis Colton at the Colton family farm between Dover and Loyal, Oklahoma. Her mother relayed it was a difficult delivery and there were two doctors from Dover and one from Kingfisher to deliver her.
When she was five along with two siblings, Larry and LaVeta, they moved to California where they stayed with her father’s sister and husband Hazel and Theron Webber with their three children. Wanda remembered it being a very full house and having her first peanut butter and jelly sandwich. They soon moved to San Diego, CA, living in a small apartment when another child, Eddie Ray was born. Not long after World War II began her parents decided it would be best to move back and settled in Newton, Kansas, where Karen was born. While living there she met a lady who talked with her about going to church which was close to their home, she began attending Sunday School and loved going. It was the beginning of her Christian journey throughout her life. As time passed, she taught Sunday School and vacation bible school well into her 80's. Her faith has always been strong even in the toughest and darkest times of her life.
The Colton family eventually made their way back to Dover, Oklahoma where the youngest son, Don Colton was born in Kingfisher, OK. After graduating high school in 1953 she married her high school sweetheart Nathan Beaman. Rhonda Colleen was born in 1954, Curtis Jay in 1957 and Theresa Renee in 1958. Nathan worked at North American Rockwell where he commuted to and from for many years, then in 1962 the family moved to Bethany, OK where they settled until he was transferred in 1965 to Albany, Georgia. The move was short lived so in 1966 they were transferred back and settled in Yukon, Oklahoma where her remaining years were spent.
Wanda loved living in Yukon and attending Town & Country Christian Church. She and two other ladies started the American Business Women's Association in town where their monthly meetings reached 60+ ladies but after 25 years the pace was difficult to maintain therefore, they closed the chapter. She spent 31 years working for GE, Honeywell, Control Data, MPI and Seagate, developing many lifelong friends. During those 31 years she also volunteered at Weokie Credit Union, eventually Wanda became the very first woman to serve on the Board of Directors which she took great pride in doing so. She also spent 15 years serving on the Compassionate Hands Board and served as a Court Appointed Child Advocate (CASA) volunteer for many years. Thirty plus years she served as a volunteer at the Christmas Connection in Oklahoma City along with her immediate family and many friends from Seagate and Town & Country Christian Church in the Toy Department.
In 2016 she decided it was time to downsize so she made the move to Spanish Cove and never looked back, she loved being there all these years, which was her home and so many wonderful people soon became her friends. Wanda was elated when her sisters, brother-in-law’s, niece and husband moved to the Cove also, they were together again.
Wanda Lou Colton Beaman is survived by her three children, Rhonda Manek and husband Kelly, Curtis Beaman, Theresa Fleming and husband Cliff. Three very special grandchildren Miranda Fleming VanAuken and husband Matt, Nicole Fleming Lovins and Jackson Beaman, five great grandchildren whom she adored Carter Bryan VanAuken, Audrey Faye VanAuken, Reid Bennett Lovins, Lainey Grace Lovins and the newest member Alli Page Lovins. She has countless nephews, nieces, cousins and friends all of which were so important to her. Wanda passed peacefully on June 27th, 2024 with her children at her bedside. She is preceded in death by her husband Nathan Beaman, her parents Edwin and Amanda Colton, brothers Larry and Eddie Ray, grandparents, aunts, uncles, niece, nephew and many extended family members.
Viewing will be held 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, July 10, 2024 at the funeral home. Wanda’s life will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, July 11, at Town & Country Christian Church, Yukon, with interment following at 4:00 p.m., at New Home Cemetery, Dover, OK.
