Wanda Marie Engles

Wanda Marie (Johnnie) Rose Engles

30 December 1925-2 December 2023

Though not many may now remain, family and those who knew her in high school and even later would call her Johnnie. Though she said she could not say when or exactly how this started.

Marie was born at the small community of Rock Springs, Searcy CO, Arkansas. Her parents Gilbert (Bert) Rose (22 June 1893-15 Jan 1971) and Willie Rae Treece Rose (20 Nov 1899-4 May 1993). She was delivered by her grandmother Tennessee Jane Tilley Rose (Aunt Tenn) (25 Mar 1865-18 Mar 1944) who was a midwife who delivered many babies in the communities of Rock Springs, Hickory Hollow, Barrnen Hollow and Harriet ARK. Paternal grandfather was Fredrick Isaac (Fed) Rose (11 Mar1861-13 June 1935) Maternal grandparents were William Robert Treece (27 Feb 1857-21 Jan 1940) and Sarah Eldora Wilson Treece (2 June 1862-16 Dec 1940) Marie shared through out her life many fond memories of them and especially granadma and grandpa Treece who in their old age and health lived with her folks for a while and then with other family members. Marie had great fun retelling how when her grandma Treece (bed ridden with crippling arthritis) was told the supper of fried squirrel was ready, told teenage Marie to, Bring me the little jaws! Another favorite memory was of her grandma Tenn Rose sitting on the porch of her cabin by Cedar Creek and holding a goose between her knees as she plucked the down that would go into tether bed ticking and pillows.

Marie's Rose, Tilley, Treece, Wilson families, along with her Beavers, Cypert, Treat were 1800's early settlers of Searcy CO Arkansas.

While growing up in the homeplace at Hickory Hollow, a tiny community in the Buffalo River region of the SE Ozarks, she started school at age 4 in a building built by the WPA. Aunt Arie Horton told her mother... Marie won't last, she's too smart.

As a small child riding in the back of her dad's mule-drawn wagon, the treacherous crossing of gravel Cedar Creek and high water on the way to a grist mill left her with a life long dislike of water. She never learned to swim and really disliked having water splashed in her face. She always marveled at her father’s skills at hunting and fishing that kept their family fed. He could shoot a 22 rifle from the hip to hit a squirrel in a tree, she said. She got from him her own sharp eye with a 22 rifle and had good aim with her throwing arm. As evidenced by an often told story about her younger brother pulling a serious prank and as he ran from her, out the door and across the elevated porch, she threw her shoe and knocked him out as he was in mid air jumping off the porch. He woke up in the yard.

Marie spent her teen years growing up in Marshall ARK attending Marshall High School and played some on the girls' basketball team.

In 1943, while working at the coffee shop of the Ferguson Hotel in Marshalll, she met her husband Talmage London Engles (24 Mar 1922-6 Oct 2001). A boy from Timbo, Stone CO, Ark and new WWII Naval recruit, he was to ship out on the train out of Marshall headed east. Later her time at business school in Missouri was cut short when he came home on leave, asked her parents where she was, and proceeded to go get her. They married in 1944. The first of their 3 children, daughter Sandra Rae Engles, was born in 1945 (worst ice storm in years it was said) at Marshall. Talmage's leave was running out so Marie had to be in the hospital to extend it. So she checked in. She and baby later went by train to Norfolk VA where Talmage was stationed aboard the US Wyoming. In what was even then an old apartment with a communal bathroom, baby slept in a pulled out dresser drawer, mom battled bed bugs by setting the bedstead legs in containers of kerosene and going over the bed springs with a rolled up newspaper torch !! A happy memory was of walks by Chesapeake Bay and getting yells and wolf whistles and waves from sailors on deck of anchored ships at the Norfolk Naval Station. She imagined them missing their own families back home.

Post war brought them back to Stone CO Arkansas where they lived a brief time in a make shift cabin on the Pleasant Hill farm of Talmage's mother Odie Boyle Gammill and stepdad Mills Gammill. A not so fond memory of hers was cooking on the wood cook stove that had belonged to Talmage's grandmother Dora Jane Benbook Boyle (1880-1961) Marie would get so homesick for her own folks ipver n Marshall she would walk with her toddler daughter the gravel road miles to the small town of Onia ARK to catch the mail truck and hitch a ride headed that direction.

The GI Bill took them to Arkansas Tech University at Russellville ARK and then to Kansas State University, Manhattan KS. Though herself not enrolled as a student, Marie did a lot of homework and often reminded Talmage of that fact through the years. Graduation took them to Eire, Neosho CO, KS. where Talmage was County 4H Club Agent.

While living in Eriie daughter Sarita Melinda Engles (1951 flood year in KS) and son Timothy Dale Engles (1954 a drought year) were born in neighboring Parsons, KS hospital. It was joked that her kids were the result of weather disasters or caused them. No A/C and to make the summer heat of 1954 more tolerable for her small children, Marie would wet mop the hard wood floor and set a pan of ice cubes in front of a floor fan for the kids to lie down in front of.

While in Erie and a 20- something young mother, Marie was a typical married woman of that era but with an edge.. canasta and poker parties with friends, running trot lines for catfish, wringing necks of fryer chickens with sister in law Florene Gammill House to process them and stock their freezers. Chicken was a staple food in the Engles family. Every road trip over the years to Arkansas to visit family or beyond was started by her packing her excellent fried chicken, buttered bread and carrot sticks. The state line wouldn't even be reached before te scent of fried chicken in the enclosed car would bring calls, usually led by Talmage, for chicken to be unpacked. She always joked about his hungry chicken attacks.

Talmage's job change in 1956 took the family to Lyons KS and another with COOP/Farmland Industries in 1958 to Ottawa KS. The COOP years took her and Talmage on memorable trips to Mexico City, Jamaica, and Washington DC and many annual meetings in Kansas City. At one of those meetings she saw The Jackson Five (Michael was just just a little kid she remembered). The Jamaica trip, a source of candid snapshots capturing some wild galloping on a local donkey across the beach.

66 years living in Ottawa navigating teenagers through the 60's and 70's. She was not much of club gal but did belong th the Order of the Eastern Star. And many fun times were spent at the Elks Club with so many friends including the slot machines. Her skills with the sewing machine led her to alterations and sewing for others as well as making beautiful things for her daughters. She made the best homemade yeast dinner rolls (clover leaf rolls she called them) and other baked things and kept her family happy with down home southern soul food. She could tinker and fix things by herself all around the house and was her husband's companion in the vegetable garden. Into her 90's and on her own, still tried for good tomatoes every year. And through most of those years always accompanied by beloved family dogs (Stoney a Border Collie, Terrier Gus, Sheltie Bucky, Sam her llast close friend Schnauzer) Her habit of standing and holding Sam and using his front leg and paw to wave goodbye as family tearfully left for home after a visit has continued with some family member doing am imitation but human choreographed wave.

She and Talmage were members of the Promenades' Square Dance Club. She liked music and singing and was fond of the old time classic country music like that of Hank Williams, Hank Snow and then Willie Nelson. But she was first on the bandwagon of early Elvis, then Garth and could visit with you about the Boss. Though she didn't personally know him, she felt a personal connection with Garth Brooks as his mother grew up in Marhshall. Marie remembered going with her own mother to visit Nell Elizabeth Hedges McElroy Cooper, Garth's grandmother. But with all that music, surprisingly it was revealed not until the last few years she had never much liked musicals.

After Talmage retired they became ardent antiquers and collectors and frequent, familiar faces to the community, participants in estate sales, auctions, yard and garage sales and even old abandoned wells where she had to hang onto Talmage to prevent a deep fall. They opened their booth at a local Antique Mall and she was a master haggler.

She had worked at JC Penney's in Ottawa and for a brief time in the medical reception/office of Dr. Strehlow.

She could talk amateur astronomy & botany and of course what ailed you. She kept up on current affairs, followed the Chiefs and its current quarterback and by extension could tell you the latest Swiifties news. And politics....2024 won't be the same without her opposing arguments with her family.

But all life's endeavors done with an eye for perfection; wanting the job not only to be done right but in the right way. There are those who, with the faintest of smiles, could tell you that meant the Marie way.

Proceeding her in death along with her parents were her sister Ruble Juanita Rose (1922-1935) whose death from staph and scarcity of penicillin greatly changed the family dynamics ; and her brother Herschel Leon Rose (1929-2017)

She was proceeded in death by her husband Talmage in 2001, being married 57 years about which she said, We had lots of fun! Also proceeding her was daughter Sarita Engles (1985) The death of one's child is the hardest of things to encounter and endure and so it was for Marie.

She is survived by daughter Sandra (Sandy) Engles Casteel Oklahoma City OK, Also her son Timothy (Tim) Engles and his wife Pamela (Pam) Chase Engles Colo, Iowa. Also grandsons, Patrick Casteel, Oklahoma City OK, Steven Casteel and his wife Nitya Viswanath, Forest Park Ill. And grandsons, Quentin Engles and Casey Engles, both of Colo, Iowa.

Independent to the last she was driving to Walmart in the early part of her 97th year. Her being able to be in her own home as long as she did (7 weeks shy of her 98th birthday) was so enabled by her neighbors and dear family friends Mark and Janet Lysaught. Her family is so very grateful and can never thank them enough. She called them and their grandchildren her second family. The kids coming over and sharing treats as well as big hugs.

And to all those volunteers with Meals On Wheels that not only brought food (it was good she said) but slyly checked on her and brought conversation…. you are guardian angels.

Choosing cremation, Marie will be privately interred at Highland Cemetery Ottawa KS next to her husband and daughter, Sarita. A future celebration of life is to be determined. When asked in later years if she visited with friends her response with a small chuckle was, All my friends are out at Highland.

Aunt Arie Horton had it wrong about Marie...she did last because she was so smart.