Wandalea Sconce

Wandalea Fern Dethrow was born December 1, 1932 at Couch, Oregon County, Missouri, the daughter of Lee David Dethrow and Nora Etta Bennett and entered her heavenly home on Thursday, December 5, 2024, at Advent Health Hospital, Miriam, Kansas after a long struggle with Alzheimers. She was 92.

Wandalea attended elementary school at a one-room country school at Piney in Oregon County and later graduated in 1950 from Alton High School at Alton, Missouri. 

She married Johny Wesley Sconce, son of William Wesley Sconce and Lula Pearl Prince on May 10, 1951 at the last chapel service of Mozark College at West Plains, Missouri. 

Wandalea earned her BS Degree at Drury College in Springfield and later earned a Master’s Degree in Education majoring in Administration. She later earned her Certificate in Band and Vocal Music. Music was very important to her. She gave piano lessons for years, one time having as many as 30 students a week. 

She was a schoolteacher for 33 years, mostly teaching Junior High English, Reading, Social Studies, Geography, Math, Speech and Drama. She had three of their four kids in class one time or another. Youngest daughter, Susan, lucked out!

Johny was a Southern Baptist minister for over 60 years. Wandalea would find a teaching job at every new pastorate location.

Both Wandalea and Johny were active in Eastern Star for many years and held positions of Worthy Patron and Worthy Matron among other offices. Wandalea was also Missouri’s Grand Organist, a state officer, in 1988. 

Wandalea was actively involved in the Woman’s Missionary Union and held State offices as well as Associational WMU Director for Polk County, Missouri in 2000. They took missions seriously. 

After retirement, they had the opportunity to travel overseas on several mission trips including Belarus four times, and spent three weeks in Malawi, Africa helping a niece and nephew-in-law, in their work as missionaries.

For many years, they traveled anywhere the Southern Baptist Convention was being held. Because of their travels, Johny and Wandalea traveled to all 50 states, and have landed in seven different countries.

Johny and Wandalea were fanatical about baseball, particularly the Royals and Cardinals. An evening “out” will usually find them “in” as they reclined in front of the TV (sometimes two) taking in ANY baseball game, sometimes watching twi games at the same time.

Dementia and Alzheimers took their toll and it became obvious that both needed proper care so they moved to the Chillicothe Baptist Home in Chillicothe, Missouri. 

Johny passed away in 2017, and when the Baptist Home closed their nursing department, Wandalea moved to Garden Terrace Nursing Home in Overland Park, Kansas.

Wandalea was predeceased by her husband, Johny; parents, Lee and Nora Dethrow; brother and sister-in-law, Arnold and Helen Dethrow; sons-in-law, John Miller and Jim Smith; and one grandson, PO1 John Michael Miller.

Wandalea is survived by her four children: Lanita Smith, Jamesport, Missouri; Mark (Shirre), Walnut Grove, Missouri; Susan Peach (Jay) Merriam, Kansas; James (Christy) of Holden, Missouri; 23 grandchildren and great grandchildren, nieces, nephews, cousins and a host of friends throughout the state.

Visitation was held 10 a.m. on Wednesday, December 11 with the funeral following at 11 a.m. at the Wilson-Griffin Funeral Home, Walnut Grove, Missouri. Interment in the Greenwood Cemetery in Bolivar.

The family requests those who wish to express sympathy to consider making a donation to the Alzheimer Association or to their favorite charity in Wandalea’s name.