Edna Pearl Wagenstein

Our dear Aunt Edna passed away peacefully into the arms of our Lord and Savior on September 2, 2016. She is survived by her step daughters Linda Turner, Deanna Cashen, and Cheryl Alley; her sister Gladys Huggins Hinkle; nieces Tami Huggins Wallace, Sherri Huggins, Carolyn Huggins Simmons, Cindy Huggins Fairchild, Cindy Hinkle, Linda Huggins Sloniker, Betty Jo Pannell; nephews Danny Huggins, Ronnie Huggins, J.R. Huggins, Fred Huggins, Mike Huggins, Don Huggins, Bill Huggins, Chuck Huggins, Jim Hinkle; Greg Hinkle; and numerous great nieces and nephews. Edna Huggins Lynch Wangenstein was born in Louisiana on March 22, 1930, the 4th of 7 children. As an adult she lived mainly in Ben Wheeler, Texas with her husband Doug Lynch. As a rancher’s wife she would bottle feed young calves and climb pecan trees to pull moss down to feed the cattle. Her great nephew Sean remembers that in the summer of 1985 he spent time in their rural home, benefitting from life lessons of hard work, home cooked meals, and Aunt Edna's homemade prescription for removing chiggers procured in their pasture. She and Doug often visited fellow Texans Sean and his sister Terrie to attend their children's graduations, dance recitals, cheerleading competitions, and band contests, sometimes on short notice. Her sister Gladys's children in California said Edna's laughter and attitude were always welcome in their homes...and nothing was more fun than getting into a heated conversation with her. They truly appreciated her spending endless hours on Greyhound buses over the years to visit them and became their most frequent visitor. Edna’s niece Cindy reminisces that Edna would always hold her hand when she spoke to her and was gentle and kind. Edna was a caregiver for Doug prior to his death from emphysema. She spent her later years in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and fell in love with Bob Wangenstein. They were married, spent a few precious years together and served as Bob’s caregiver before he succumbed to cancer. She continued to reside in Natchitoches to be near her brothers Fred and Charles and their wives, who all preceded her in death. Our beloved Aunt Edna had a charming feistiness, an unfailing spirit of optimism, a knack for gentle teasing, and an undying love for the people in her life. She was a special lady, truly one of a kind, and she will be missed. Her memorial service will be held at Tyler Memorial Cemetery on Saturday, September 10th, at 1 pm. Entombment will follow the service. Edna's family would like to thank the staff at Natchitoches Assisted Living for their loving care during her stay.