Wanda Jean Lutz

Wanda Jean Lutz, age 75, was born January 8, 1942 in Rocky Ford, Colorado, to William Charles and Stella Mae (Wright) Lutz. She entered her eternal heavenly home on April 15, 2017 at Springfield, Missouri.

The family moved to Texas County, Missouri, where Wanda attended at least one year at Oak Grove Rural School. She was then transferred to Higginsville, Missouri State School where she lived for several years. To be closer to family, she transferred to Republic, Missouri, and attended school and workshops at Happy Acres. She later moved again to Springfield, Missouri. Wanda’s family gives special thanks to Connie and the rest of the staff at Easy Living for the loving, compassionate care given to her that undoubtedly contributed to her long, happy life. She was believed to be one of the longest living persons in the United States with Down Syndrome.

When Wanda wasn’t being a little jokester and teasing her family members and others she was asking to go to McDonald’s for hamburgers and ice cream. She was always ready to sing “Jesus Loves Me” to anyone who would listen.

Wanda was preceded in death by her parents, one sister, Anna Mae Hayes, of Springfield, Missouri, and four half- brothers, Barney, Joe, Jack, and George Lutz.

She is survived by her sister, Dixie Hicks of Springfield, Missouri, her brother, Johnny Bill Lutz of Mountain Home, Arkansas, her sister, Mary Birnell of Greencastle, Indiana, her brother, Frank Lutz and his wife, Bonnie, of Cabool, Missouri, her sister, Linda Todd and her husband, Herman, of Saltillo, Texas, as well as many nieces, nephews, and cousins who will miss her dearly.