WIGAND, GWENDOLYN BLAUVELT
Gwen was born in Wayne County Pennsylvania on May 30 1924 the daughter of Livingston and Beatrice Grinnell Blauvelt. She was the third child, preceded first by Arliss her sister and then her brother, Livingston who was called Junior and later her younger brother, Barker. The four were close as children growing up in Pennsylvania and they would remain so through out life spending family vacation times together despite living in four distant states.
After the war and college Livingston her brother moved to Dallas to attend Seminary and Gwen followed attending Dallas Bible College. It was 1951, She was living on Crutcher street. She noticed a young man on the porch across the street. The story is that she was dared by her roommate to offer him a piece of cherry pie she had just baked. She did and he asked her out on a date. Next comes love, then comes marriage, and then comes baby Lee the III, as the man eating the pie was Lee Allen Wigand Jr. They were married September 12 1952 .
Gwen became an instant mother caring for Lee's two daughters from a previous marriage, Bettye and Glenda who were 4 and 6 years of age. Lee III was born in 1953 and Winston in 1954 to round out the family with two girls and two boys. But wait there was a surprise to come in 1964 when Wendy Gaye Wigand was born. If there is a word to characterize Gwen it would be Mom. She put all her energy and love into caring for us children through holidays, birthdays, vacations, church, school, and family activities.
An example of mom's love through service is the Wigand Thanksgiving tradition. Mom would prepare the house, turkey and traditional trimmings including four or five pies for the Wigand celebration. This would take three or four days preparation. Family members would arrive Thanksgiving morning to help mom preparing all the side dishes. The extra large turkey had been in the oven since five or six that morning. The 16 foot long table dad had built had to be set up after all the furniture was moved out of the way.
There was the meal around one or two, the Cowboy game, the family bowling event, and then back to the house for turkey sandwiches, pie and hot punch. The tradition began in the mid sixties continuing through the mid nineties, a feast for more than 30 people each year. Mom became the matriarch this family gathered round in her small kitchen full of love.
Mom is survived by four children; nine grandchildren; nine great grandchildren; and two great-great grandchildren. Mom's life is a testimony to her love and devotion for family through which she expressed her love and devotion to her Lord Jesus. At the age of 90 she has passed to be with the Lord Jesus on July 28 2014. Because she trusted solely in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, she will sit at the table in the feast of her Lord with His family, which is her family.
Visitation will be from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM Tuesday, August 5, 2014 at Restland Funeral Home.
Service will be held Wednesday, August 6, 2014 at 10:00 AM at Restland Wildwood Chapel.
