Waneta Wilson Schneider Bertrand Smith Jentsch was born December 15, 1918 to Fay Wilson and Myrtle Gritten Wilson in Bismarck, Illinois. The family moved north to Dolton, Illinois when Waneta was in grade school.  As a teenager, Waneta assisted with running the household and caring for her younger siblings. 

 

Waneta gave birth to 6 children – 3 with her first husband, and 3 with her second husband, and she happily acquired a step-daughter with her marriage to her fourth husband. Through these 7 children, Waneta’s descendants include 14 grandchildren, 24 great-grandchildren and 7 great-great-grandchildren.

 

Waneta loved her family and friends and was always ready to help people.  She loved to cook, and did some catering which led to a job as a cafeteria manager at Tinley Park High School.  She was also an accomplished seamstress and sewed clothing for her children and grandchildren, she also made prom dresses and wedding dresses.  Several weddings featured brides, bridesmaids, and mothers of the bride and groom all wearing Waneta’s creations.  She would attend the reception with sewing kit on hand, just in case.

 

Waneta had a wonderful sense of humor, loved to read, try different cuisines, and travel.   In her later years, Waneta travelled as often as possible with friends, senior groups, and family members.   She went river rafting in Colorado, touring in Alaska, cruising the Mediterranean, and RVing in New Zealand.  She rode camels and donkeys, hiked up the Acropolis, and explored the canals of Venice.

 

For a full century, Waneta was full of life and love, and ready with a smile. 

 

A graveside service will be held at 11:00 A.M. Friday, June 21, 2019 at Gundy Cemetery in Bismarck, IL, with Pastor Gail Meyers officiating.

 

Anderson Funeral Home in Hoopeston is handling the arrangements.