Wanda Claudie Deitrick

Wanda Claudie (Clark) Deitrick, born December 3, 1929, of parents John and Sarah Clark, in Dunreath, Iowa, answered the call of Jesus and peaceably went home to Him in the early morning hours of December 6, 2025, shortly after happily celebrating her 96th birthday with family.

She is survived by her husband of 74 years, Dwight, and her four children, Mark (Lora), Mardi, John (Theresa), and Eric (Ann); her 10 grandchildren, Cory, Tara, Katy, Erica, Ryan, Colt, Melissa, Tracy, Taylor, and Luke; and 11 great grandchildren, Treyton, Corbin, Denton, Fynn, Anthony, Carter, Raven, Mary, Charles, Chloe, Roland; and one great, great grandchild, Paul.  

Wanda grew up in a close-knit family with 12 brothers and sisters and of her siblings, she is preceded in death by 3 brothers, Warren, Seth, and Keith and by 5 sisters, Gayle, Vernie, Ila, Doris, and Mary.  Her 4 surviving siblings are Bart, Violet, Betty, and Shirley, and she has left behind many, many (too many to count) loving nieces and nephews.

When a young girl, Wanda was baptized by Seventy Clyde MacDonald and Henry Castings of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and she was a faithful member of this church for her entire life, giving of her many talents and love in service to others.  While still a teenager she began her service as the Zion’s League youth leader of her church in Dunreath, and on January 19, 1951, she married Dwight Deitrick, a neighboring farm boy, after helping to convert him to the Lord, Jesus.  In later years she worked alongside her now pastor husband, in Runnells, Iowa, and then Des Moines, Iowa, bringing ministry to others by playing the piano and singing, putting on plays and programs, leading Vacation Bible School, organizing dinners, teaching youth classes, visiting in homes, leading the women’s group, and many other things... including opening up her home twice a week for worship services while the church members worked on the little building they had purchased for their new church home - where saints are still meeting to this day.

In the latter half of her church life she traveled with Dwight to bring ministry across the United States helping in Church Reunions and Retreats, as well as visiting in hundreds of homes.  She was a hard worker in establishing the church in Geneseo, Illinois which again, began with worship services in the Deitrick home until the saints outgrew the house and purchased the old Grange building north of the city and built it up into a beautiful church and campground. Wanda was so good in the kitchen, organizing and cooking the meals in the many camps and retreats held there, often using vegetables and fruits fresh, frozen, or canned from her own garden.  It was rumored that the good food was the real reason so many came from all over to attend church camp... and everyone said that she baked the best pies you could find anywhere.  During these years, Wanda’s talents were again put to good use and she had many poems, songs, testimonies, and stories published in Church magazines and newsletters, and was a favorite in talent shows in church camps and programs wherever she went.

When Wanda was 18 years old she got her certification and taught school in a one room schoolhouse, teaching grades 1-12, some of her students the same age as she.  She lived with a family about a mile from the schoolhouse and she walked to the school every day and in the winters had the wood-burning stove all stoked up by the time her students arrived. About four years later she began raising a family, her first child born in 1952 and her last, 9 years later in 1961.  When all of her children were attending school, she went back to school herself, attending Drake University in Des Moines where she got her Elementary teaching degree and soon began teaching Kindergarten at Altoona Elementary.  She eventually got certified in Special Education and taught in this field until the family moved to Illinois.  There Wanda continued teaching children in Kewanee and later, in Geneseo where she retired in the early 1980s.  Wanda loved working with children and developed life-long friendships with many of them.  Wanda was a devoted wife and mother, and even working a full-time job she made time for her family and she always had supper on the table where her family ate and visited together every day.     

Wanda loved writing and has written hundreds of poems and stories.  For over twenty years she wrote an end-of-year poem that she sent out to friends and family which was looked forward to and enjoyed by all.  She also fell in love with community theater and for many years was a mainstay with the Richmond Hill Players Performing Arts Theater in Geneseo where she performed in 24 plays and directed several at the end of her career.  She supported the Richmond Hill Players until her passing.  Wanda was also an avid fisherman (or fisherwoman) and loved traveling to the lakes of Canada to catch the “big one,” which she did - a 36” Pike which is hanging on the family room wall in her home.  She was also a hunter – of Morel Mushrooms!  Wanda was a true “Shroomer” and every April when the days started getting warm and the light rains would fall, she couldn’t wait to get out into the woods to hunt for that elusive fungi.   

In her later years, she and Dwight moved onto a hobby farm property outside of Erie, Illinois, and they decided to get into the Alpaca business.  They established the Deitrick Alpaca Ranch and had approximately 70 alpacas that they raised and took care of.  Every year they had visiting and participation days for school children and folks with disabilities and special needs where Wanda would prepare a free meal for them, and also annually they would have “Alpaca Days” where everyone was invited to come out and enjoy activities, learn about alpacas, and enjoy an “on the house” meal of hamburgers, hotdogs, and barbeque that she would put together.  She loved serving the community and was very saddened when she and Dwight became physically unable to continue.  While her “working” days were coming to an end, she still enjoyed attending church services, singing and sharing testimonies, and seeing her church family every chance she could.       

Wanda was a shining light in the lives of all who had the privilege of knowing her.  Her journey on this earth was one marked by love, compassion, and unwavering faith in God.  Her passing has left a void in the hearts of her family, friends, and many more whose lives were touched by her.  But her memory lives on and she will be remembered for the way her life was lived, and for the profound impact it had on the lives of those who had the pleasure of knowing her.

A celebration of Wanda’s life will be conducted on Monday, December 15, 2025 at 12:30 P.M. at Community of Christ Church in Monroe, Iowa with the visitation beginning at 11:30 A.M.

Flowers will be accepted and can be sent to Coburn Funeral Home Monroe IA, 602 N Commerce St, Monroe, IA 50170, or memorial contributions can be made to The Church of Jesus Christ, Geneseo Restoration Branch, 22866 E 1680 Street, Geneseo, IL 61254.