Sarah Lucille Waters, 86, of Cheyenne, Wyoming passed on Thursday November 7, 2019 at her home in Cheyenne surrounded by her family.
She was born January 8, 1933 in Winn Parish, Louisiana to Mary (Streetman) Osborne and George W. Spangler.
Sarah was raised in Winn Parish Louisiana by her mom and step-dad Dewey. She shared many adventures with her brothers, Jake and Bill, and sisters, Ethel and Bert, while growing up in Winnfield. She had many wonderful memories of fishing, bull-frogging, and general shenanigans with her siblings. One of her fondest memories was at night tiptoeing into the feather bed she shared with her sisters.
Sarah met Wilson Swilley from Winnfield, LA. Together they had three children George, Ann, and Glenn, all born in Winnfield. A few of years into their marriage they moved their family to Cheyenne, Wyoming to be closer to Sarah’s parents. Wilson and Sarah divorced and she later met Franklin Waters while on a blind date. They were married in 1960 and she became an Air Force wife. Their first daughter Ruth, was born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. After Cheyenne they were stationed in Grand Forks, North Dakota where their second daughter, Karen, was born.
The Air Force travels took her back to Cheyenne, then onto Guam, Montana, and finally back to Wyoming. Sarah enjoyed all of her travels to the varying places. Her loves were the beaches in Guam, the plains of Montana, and the mountains of Wyoming. Despite her love of travels she wasn’t fond of flying. This may have stemmed from a flight to Guam with three teenagers and two toddlers.
Sarah was always rough housing and wrestling with her boys. A fact of which she was very proud and from which she enjoyed many moments of laughter. She taught all of her children how to fish, garden, and enjoy the outdoors.
Amongst her many talents and passions were cake decorating, oil painting, fishing, camping, jewelry making, flower gardening, sewing, crocheting, cooking, canning, and traveling. She found her inspiration for her paintings from Bob Ross. She was known for her beautiful wedding and birthday cakes, ornately crocheted Barbie gowns and doilies, and her immense flower and vegetable gardens. She was famous for her apple pies. She spent many road trips traveling to Louisiana, Arizona, Idaho, Alabama, and camping at Mill Pond Lake in the Snowy Range Mountains of Wyoming. Sarah loved getting up at dawn and going fishing.
After settling into retirement her hobbies included raising exotic birds, miniature quail, house finches, ducks, a rabbit, and George the attack rooster. After her children grew up and left home she began raising several Chihuahuas. Her favorites were Chi-chi, Tess, Chiquita, and Streak.
She enjoyed spending time with her numerous grandchildren. She was always the first one to bring out the hand cranked ice cream maker for all of them to take their turn churning. She shared her passions and taught them how to paint, Bob Ross style, flower garden and sketch. She loved spending time in the kitchen teaching them her favorite recipes. She took great pride in her grandchildren.
In her later years she enjoyed flower gardening, bird watching from her deck, and feeding peanuts to the squirrels that called her yard home. Sarah enjoyed watching old westerns, especially if it had John Wayne or Gene Autry in them. She also enjoyed the hours of snuggling her four legged buddy Streak, who faithfully stayed in her lap until she passed.
Sarah is survived by her husband of 59 years, Frank Waters of Cheyenne Wyoming, two (2) sons George (Virginia) of Weaver, Alabama, and Glenn (Mary) of Cheyenne, Wyoming; and three (3) daughters Ann Eternicka of Kenosha, Wisconsin, Ruth (Darius) Dustin of Kellogg, Idaho, Karen (Dow) Terry of Litchfield Park, Arizona, her sister, Bertice Rhiney, twelve (12) grandchildren Vanessa Waters, Gregory Waters, Matthew Eternicka, David Waters, Daniel Waters, Brittnay Waters, Jeremy Berg, Samantha Towne, Melissa Travis, Daniel Berg, Kacie Roxas, and Lauren Terry, eleven (11) great-grandchildren, and two (2) great-great grandchildren.
She is proceeded in death by her father George W. Spangler, mother, Mary Osborne, step-father John Osborne, two (2) brothers, Jake Spangler, William (Bill) Spangler, and one sister, Ethel Duke.
Services will be held Saturday, November 9, 2019 at 2:00 PM at Wiederspahn- Radomsky Chapel of the Chimes, 1900 East 19th Street Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001. Reception to follow at The Gathering place.
In lieu of flowers, contributions to the Cheyenne Animal Shelter, 800 Southwest Drive Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001, would be greatly appreciated.