Wanda Ruth Forbush Lockwood

An angel that walked among us has left this home and she has gone to her Eternal home where she can bask in the presence, love and light of the Lord and his son Jesus Christ our Savior and the many loved one’s who proceeded her, to their eternal home.
Wanda Ruth Forbush Lockwood, age 92, of Sandy, Utah and previously from Union, Utah passed away on the warm fall evening of September 24, 2021. Wanda was born to Marvin A. Forbush and Ruth R. Osbborne. Wanda was born during a time when Fridays were a day for washing the car, filling it with gas, and getting ready to take whatever excursion her and her dear Keith decided they would want to do. They would usually do something that involved seeing family and would often go home to see Keith’s family.
As a young girl, Wanda worked on the family farm, where she spent time picking berries and thinning out the onions, because after all she was the “Onion Kings” daughter. She also helped watch her younger sisters. She would often cook dinner and end her day by scrubbing the kitchen floor for a clean start to the next day.
As Wanda grew into a young lady she worked at many different jobs, and she always wanted more and had the desire to accomplish more.
Wanda had 3 occupations she was most proud of and loved the most. She worked at the phone company before it became a dial up system. She later became the head of communications for Sears, including the phones, mail, and other aspects of communication. Wanda was a very important part of the planning and development of the Sears located at the Fashion Place Mall store in Murray, Utah. Wanda’s final and favorite occupation that she took the most pride in was that of being a mother, wife, and home maker.
In 1950, near the end of July, Wanda met, fell in love with and married Keith L Lockwood. Their marriage was later solemnized on January 11,1965. This began an epic love story, which was finalized with the birth of their 2 children Mike K. Lockwood and Lariann W (Lari) Lockwood. They were married 6 years before being blessed with their first-born Mike. 10 years later their daughter, Lari joined the family.
Wanda dealt with many difficulties in life. She was challenged with health problems as well as the challenge of losing both her mother and mother-in-law just months apart in 1970. These loses and difficulties were a contributing reason for why she decided to be a stay-at-home wife and mother.
Wanda was a perfectionist and everything she did was very precise. She had a way about her, that she could just look at something and know exactly what was needed to give anything a perfect finishing touch.
Wanda accomplished so much in her lifetime, including the surviving of the Great Depression with her family and loved ones. Wanda had so many loves, was very creative and there isn’t anything she couldn’t do. There as so many to mention that some will probably be left off but by mistake only.
When Wanda was quite young, she met a small young family that was still feeling the effect of The Great Depression. They approached her father, Marvin and wanted to know if they could get a cow or a pig for meat to feed their family. Marvin made a deal with the family that he would provide the meat in exchange for piano lessons for Wanda. Wanda eventually received 13 lessons during this agreement.
Boy oh Boy, did she ever take advantage of those 13 lessons and eventually created music and songs of her own, but sadly those songs and cute little ditties are now lost and gone forever. She was embarrassed that she couldn’t write music down. Reading and playing…not a problem they’re in fact she could play better than most who had taken years and years of lessons.
She had a real love for music which is what her and Keith enjoyed together, which led to dancing every weekend to the Lawrence Welk Show, and they would let Lari join in on the experience. Later in years she and Keith enjoyed getting back to nature, fishing, boating, hunting etc. Just enjoying the great outdoors. Later in the years, they enjoyed being home by the way, a home that Keith and Wanda had built themselves. She could make our home a real heaven on earth. At Christmas the whole house was turned into a winter wonder land. Santa’s workshop, as it appeared to be off and on with the years of decorating.
She enjoyed sewing, making quilts, crocheting comforters, doing very beautiful ceramics. She loved to garden whether flowers and or vegetables, she loved it all. She loved cooking. Everyone knew that Keith came home every day for lunch because she was such a good cook. Eventually she had to let everyone know she was not a short stop restaurant.
She was great at making paper dolls and clothes for those paper dolls that she and her daughter spent so much time doing. We never got over how handy she was with a pencil. Her daughter benefited greatly by making some clothes that Lari would often model in fashion shows. She and Keith worked with the scouting program, taught Sunday School, secretary for the young women’s mutual program.
She loved flower arranging, live or silk, it didn’t matter. She thrived knowing that her immediate family were all best friends, she loved her close association with her sisters and brother.
She would rather give and loved to give far more than she ever received. She found true happiness in being a wife, a mother and was truly filled with joy when anyone close to her excelled.
She also made several things that became tradition. Even with her sisters and their families, her famous chocolate cake, her cheesecake, all holiday treats as well by making fudge, divinity, caramel popcorn balls by the 100’s at a time.
She loved her father in heaven and his son Jesus Christ and loved learning about them and their teachings. At the age of 10, when other children were asking for candy, toys and dolls Wanda wanted a book about Jesus. The book, quite large, “The Story of Jesus” is still marked .25 cents and in her handwriting on the inside cover. She wrote in her 10 years old handwriting. “Best book in the world.”
We know we have left so much out some by accident and other things we overlooked. This obituary is getting to be a little long, but we could talk of her and her achievements so much more, she made in this life so deserving of the life to come with our Lord and Jesus. Her husband Keith, mother, and father and so many that have gone on before her, “I know she is basking in radiant Love, of all.”
She is survived by her son, Mike, daughter, Lari, brother Jay, sister, Marian. I know how happy she is and how she wants all of us to be reunited one day.
A week before she passed, Lari is sharing something Wanda said to her. As she was laying in her bed, and I was doing something for her and adjusting her in her bed. She thanked me for always taking such good care of her, which she did often. Then she told me how much she loved me and asked if I knew it and I did the same to her. She smiled and said this is important. Come sit down, so I sat on the side of her bed, she told me, “You are an angel, really you are. When you were born, we had them cut off your wings and throw them away, so you’d stay with us and not fly away.”
All background music you are hearing at her services are all Wanda’s favorite songs.
Funeral Services will be held, Friday, October 22, 2021, at 2:00 p.m. at Larkin Sunset Gardens, 1950 East Dimple Dell Road, Sandy, Utah with a visitation prior to the service at 12:30 p.m.
Masks are mandatory for all who wish to attend the viewing and or service due to the rising numbers of covid outbreak. We have chosen not to serve any refreshments or food after the service.
“For a person who would never fly on a plane, I’m sure you are making good use of your wings now. We love you; we miss you; we look forward to the day we will all be joined together again.” (And I can get some more of mama’s kisses) the best in the world. You are always even now just a heartbeat away.