Heaven has received a very special angel. Wanda Dell Kaufman Sites was joined with our Heavenly Father on December 3, 2014, surrounded and held in the loving arms of her family.
Born February 10, 1933, to Mary Esther (Green) Kaufman and Aubrey Dean Kaufman in Austin, Texas, Wanda was a lifelong Austinite and proud of it! She met her loving husband and best friend of 65 years, Walter B. “Bubbles” Sites at the Lockhart Creamery on South Lamar when she was 15. She loved to hear daddy tell the story of how he saw her walking to work and told his mom as he pointed to her, “I’m gonna marry that girl!”
Mom was a tiny lady, but if she heard anyone say that she would say, “Why do they keep saying that? I’m big! Dynamite comes in small packages!” Boy was she right!
Momma, Mom, Grandma, Maw, Gramma-Nonna-Gramma was the epitome of grace and instilled a legacy of strength, determination, strong-will and a heart as big as they come! She has been an amazing example to her family of what love, devotion and laughter should look like. She taught us all many things along the way: like learning how to play poker by the age of five, how to bet on the horses (only $2 bets), how to scratch a lottery ticket, how to curl each other’s hair, how to care unconditionally for any animal we brought home, how to pack a wet wash rag and a bag of snacks everywhere you went and how to not argue and love one another no matter what has happened.
The legacy will continue through her daughters, Wanda Jeanine Thompson, Susan Elizabeth Pannell and husband Charles Dudley Jr., Tammy Bea Thompson and husband Duane Allen, Lori Kathaleen Shultz and husband Robert Philip; her three sisters, Teenie Hefner, her very close and special devoted sister, Darlene Bushover and husband Fred, Mary Retalek and husband Monty.
She is also survived by nine loving grandchildren: Julie Larkin and husband Jake, Alicia Arnold and husband Jayson, Rachel Wright and husband Ryan, Amber Evans and husband David, Brent Thompson, Ashley Thompson, Athen Shultz, Braden Shultz and Kiele Dell Shultz, and five spunky great-grandchildren: Cason Wright, Addyson Arnold, Avery Larkin, Ava Evans and Finley Kate Larkin.
Momma’s good friend, Mary Valle was there for mother day and night until she took her last breath, praying, singing and worshiping with her. We are also so thankful for our mother’s spiritual warrior, Missy Stephenson. We could not be more blessed.
Waiting for her to join them were her parents, and her three loving brothers Jimmy, Billy and Bobby Kaufman.
Wanda always thought of others and truly loved being around children and attending her grandchildren’s sporting events. Mom had the biggest heart. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to the American Heart Association.
