Obituary of Wanda Williams Hodges

A graveside service will be held Friday, April 23, 2021 at 11:00am at the Gridley-Biggs Cemetery for Wanda Williams Hodges, 96, who at the time of her death resided in Emmitt, Idaho with family members. She was born on Oct. 8, 1924 in Gridley, CA, the daughter of Joseph Leo Williams and Mima Durfee. Wanda graduated from Gridley High School, class of 1942. After graduation, she moved to San Francisco, CA where her older sister Leola lived and got a job in an insurance company. During this time, she met and married a young serviceman named Movell Martell and had a son, Charles William. Through the pains of separation and WWII the marriage did not last. In 1948, while living with her parents in Hydesville, CA, she met the love of her life Weston K. Hodges at a church service. They were married in the Logan Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 4, 1949. After Weston completed his education in Provo, Utah, Weston, Wanda and Charles (Bill) moved back to California and settled in the small community of Carlotta in Humboldt County. After 25 years in Carlotta, where Weston was a schoolteacher and principal of a small elementary school and Wanda was a homemaker of 6 children, they move back to the Gridley/Biggs area in 1974 until Weston died in April of 2008, just 6 weeks after they celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary. Wanda was a woman of great faith and loved the gospel of Jesus Christ. She was an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and love to serve others. She always had vegetables from her garden or a warm loaf of bread for someone in need. She was a wonderful example of love, compassion, charity and hard work. By serving in her community and with many church callings, she enriched lives of those she met. She was seldom idle and loved to cook, sew and grow a large vegetable garden. She loved music, had a beautiful singing voice, played the piano and even played the trumpet in a small jazz band. In addition to Weston, she was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Leola and Charles. Surviving Wanda are her 6 children, Charles William (Deanna), Mark Weston (Christina), Ralph Edward (Connie), Marilyn Coey, Judy Marie McKinney (Mark) and Richard Lynn Hodges. She was so proud of her 18 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren and 1 great-great grandchild on the way. Arrangements for Wanda are under the direction of Potter Funeral Chapel in Emmett, ID and Gridley-Block Funeral Chapel, Gridley, CA.