Wanda Lee Turney

A funeral service for Wanda Lee Turney, of Chickasha, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Monday, June 9, 2025, at Hope Tabernacle United Pentecostal Church.

Wanda Lee Capps, who in her younger years was known as WannaLee, was born in Tabler, Oklahoma on Christmas Eve, December 24, 1934, although family history nods at her being born in 1933. She was the daughter of Archie Everett Capps and Nora Jane (Johnson) Capps. She passed from this life on June 4, 2025, in Chickasha, Oklahoma.

Wanda’s mother died when she was 6 years old and she was raised by her father and his wife, Ila (Emerson) Neely Capps in a blended family. She grew up in the Dibble/Naples area, but her father was a migrant sharecropper and everyone, including Wanda, worked broom corn, cotton and other various crops all across Oklahoma, Texas, and New Mexico. She came to Chickasha for the first time when she was around 16 years old.

She met Delbert “Wayne” Rodgers at the Full Gospel Church in Dibble, and they married July 11, 1952, and lived in Chickasha. Wanda and Wayne raised four children and divorced in April of 1980.

Wanda worked as a waitress for many years and later at Delta Faucet. She worked at Scott’s Mini-Stop and also volunteered at the Salvation Army for many years and that was a blessing to her family. She stayed busy her entire life and was constantly on the go. She had a booming voice and a crippling grip. The most stubborn but loving woman.

She enjoyed having family gatherings on most Sundays with everyone cramming into her little home. She would make the best fried chicken, roast, mashed potatoes with pan gravy, corn, and green beans. She loved a piece of white cake topped with some good-ole’ thick pinto beans and also enjoyed a glass of cornbread with milk poured over it. For her birthday on Christmas Eve, the family would all get together and combine a birthday celebration with Christmas. She would pass out small toys for the smallest children and give each family group a batch of her “white candy”, resulting in some wrestling matches when some would try to steal from others.

Wanda married Jack Walton Turney on October 8, 1980, and they shared 21 years together until his passing in February 2002. He loved her dearly and they enjoyed going to the auction West of town on Friday nights and hitting the garage sales every Saturday morning.

She was a long-time member of the United Pentecostal Church and was present and active in all the aspects of the church and was a great prayer warrior. She read her Bible through every year until she was no longer able to do so. Her grandchildren and great-grandchildren called her Mamie and as the years went by, many people came to know her as Mamie also. Anyone was welcome at her home, and everyone would always get the fiercest hug.

Wanda was preceded in death by her mother Nora Capps, father Archie Capps, step-mother Ila Barrett; husband Jack Turney, grandson Colby Wayne Rodgers, sisters Melvina “Viney” (Capps) Motley, Martha (Capps) McConnell, Barbara (Neely) Edwards, and Mearlene “Sissy” (Capps) Henshaw, Corene (Neely) Patty; brothers Marvin Capps, Archie “Bud” Capps, Jr., James “Jim” Capps, Everett Capps and Howard Capps, Curtis Neely, Bill Neely, Robert “Pete” Neely, three infant siblings, Willard, Margaret, and Preston Lee, and the father of her children Wayne Rodgers.

Loved ones left to remember her are her children Dale Rodgers and wife Dora, Vivian Edwards, Reba Hibbs, and Lilly Martin; grandchildren Angala Noman and husband Mukarram, Brena Risner and husband David, Leana Tucker, Tony Bray and wife Allison, Jessica Oaks, Catrene Criss, Charles “Chuck” Criss, Joshua Oaks and wife Kelsie, and Jack’s granddaughter Jamie Claborn; great-grandchildren Akeem Noman and wife Tabatha, Izaak Noman and wife Britteney, Ambria Wisdom and husband Carter, Ben Risner and wife Sheyenne, Jon Risner and Adrian, Steffen Criss and Sarah, Dakota and wife Samantha, Justace Neeley, Alasdair Fairbairn, Madelynn Rodgers, Kelton Bray, Keegan Bray, Cameron Jones and wife Darlaann, Chandler Jones, Caden Jones, Charity Jones, Carson Jones, Chyanne Jones, Cailynn Jones, Alyssa Criss, Jesse Criss, Peyton Criss, Kaylee Criss, Jaxton Oaks and Kayzlie Oaks and great-great-grandchildren Aidyn, Ava, Couper, Beloved, Kirstin, Brandon, McKenzie, Mason, Zachariah, Jesse, Sicilia, Keeten, Ares, Khaleesi, Akashi, Michael, Octavia, Sage, Zaylee; nieces, nephews, and other extend family, church family and friends.

Viewing for Wanda will be held Sunday, June 8th from 2:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at Ferguson Funeral Home.

Interment will be in Fairlawn Cemetery under the direction of Ferguson Funeral Home.