Wanda Lea Blair

Wanda Lea Brown Blair, age 86, of Meridian Idaho, walked through the gate and into her long awaited glorious home on August 12.  She moved 44 times throughout her life and has officially unpacked her bags eternally, seated with her Heavenly Father and reunited with her deeply loved friends and family who have gone before her.

She was born to her parents Ivan Clair Brown and Fern Marie Milligan Brown, in Aledo Illinois.  Wanda graduated Salutatorian of her class from Joy High School, Joy Illinois in 1952.  She then attended Burlington Beauty Academy in Burlington Iowa and went on to work many years as a wonderfully skilled Beautician until later in life working at her most favorite career - Boise State University ‘Honor Students’ program.   

She married Kenneth Blair, the love of her life in 1970 and spent “her best years” wandering the mountains of Idaho and building a life with him until his passing.  He is rejoicing as she enters her forever home.  

She is survived by her children, Perry and Drue Baugher, Doug and Barb Kiddoo, Jodi Wind, and Nathan and Christy Blair. She loved so much and was ever so proud of her 14 grandchildren, 10 great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.  She wholeheartedly enjoyed bragging on all of them to various people she would meet. She was a loving aunt to all of her nieces and nephews as well, whom she deeply loved and cared for.     

Preceding her passing were her parents, Ivan and Fern Brown, brother Stanley Brown, brother James Brown, sister Cynthia Hampton, nephew Leon Krueger and great-granddaughter Jayme Ballard.  Her first husband Bill Baugher also went before her and he too is rejoicing for his sister in Christ.  

Wanda was a prayer warrior, spending countless hours in prayer for her family, friends, nation and world.  She loved her America dearly and was in the midst of reading a biography on each U.S. President.  Her favorite pastimes were gardening and reading American History.  She loved to read and she loved the Northwest mountains.  As a young girl, she spent hours reading her favorite books about the adventures of mountaineer Jim Bridger.  

She loved people of all kinds and lived her Christianity with all of her heart.  She never knew a stranger and everywhere she went people and caretakers loved her for her wit as well as her kind and gentle heart.  One of her last stops on her journey home was a nursing home.  After a few days there, she noted that she knew why she had been placed there. “These people need someone to make them smile!”  

In 1994, after her husband Ken’s passing, she decided to fulfill a lifelong dream and traveled to the Midcoast of Maine, for a working windjammer cruise, on the American Eagle, a schooner listed on the national historic register.  She was thrilled with her ‘hands on deck’ experience of helping with duties on the ship such as raising and lowering the sails. She followed up with renting a car and driving all over spending time with the locals in Rockland and Camden, then traveling throughout the Acadia area .  

She loved her moments spent gathering to worship with her fellow Christians, no matter which church it may be.  She was not a person who was of a particular denomination and in fact had been a member of several different types of churches throughout her lifetime.  Her favorite book was the Holy Bible and her favorite bible verse was John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”  Her favorite hymn was, “I’d Rather Have Jesus.”

In lieu of memorials or flowers, Wanda’s wishes would be for the support of one’s personal favorite place of worship or group of people, a family in need, or a charity of choice.  

Due to our present state of affairs in our Country and distance of travel for family and loved ones, there will be a celebration of life held in the Idaho Rocky Mountains at a later time for close family.  She will be missed by so many.

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