Wanda Kartchner

Beloved mother, aunt, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, retired secretary, lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and long-time resident of Albuquerque, Wanda Stradling Kartchner, 103, passed away peacefully on January 31, 2024.

Wanda was born on January 20, 1921 to B.H. Stradling and Emily Elizabeth (Richey) Stradling in St. Johns, Arizona, the second of seven children. She spent most of her youth in St. Johns among numerous relatives on both sides of her family. Her parents moved to Mesa, Arizona for two years while her father worked on various construction projects in the Grand Canyon for the Havasupai people, and she graduated from Mesa High School in 1939. The family then moved to Farmington, New Mexico, where Wanda worked in retail at the Kress store before completing a vocational course of study in secretarial skills.

After WWII, Wanda's parents decided to move to Albuquerque, where Wanda took a secretarial job with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working on the Sandia military reservation. After a short time, she became re-acquainted with Stanley Kartchner-whom she'd known in St. Johns, as he was originally from the nearby town of Snowflake. They fell in love and were married on February 14, 1948, being sealed as a couple a short time later in the Salt Lake Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Wanda soon quit her job with the federal government to have children and raise a family. She and Stan eventually had six children together-sons Roger, Robin, Jeffrey, Kelly, and Kevin, and daughter Kristen-between 1949 and 1961. In 1967, Wanda went back to work as a secretary, this time in the Chemistry Department at the University of New Mexico, where she completed 20 years of service before retiring in 1987.

Wanda served faithfully in a variety of church callings over the years, ranging from Young Women president to Junior Sunday School coordinator to Relief Society Compassionate Service leader. After the Albuquerque Temple was dedicated in 2000, Wanda did ordinance work there on a regular basis for a number of years. Wanda loved the temple and constantly encouraged her children to attend.

Wanda's hobbies included gardening flowers and vegetables, as well as baking both bread and cookies. She enjoyed Family History and loved to communicate via e-mail, and exchange photographs, with long-lost relatives. She loved her grandchildren with all her heart, and she spent many hours babysitting and doing activities with them. Stan died in January 1997, leaving Wanda a widow for the last 27 years of her life.

Wanda also survived her parents and all of her siblings (brothers Wayne Stradling and Alden Stradling, and sisters LaRee Bennion, Karene Stradling, Arlene Clark, and Katherine Baca), as well as a stepdaughter, Judy Kartchner, and two grandsons, Dane Kartchner and Collin Kartchner. She is survived by all of her children: Roger Kartchner (Lynnea), Robin Kartchner (Karolyn), Jeffrey Kartchner (Marlyn), Kelly Kartchner, Kevin Kartchner (Dorine), and Kristen Salazar (Donald), as well as a stepdaughter, Linda Hutchings, and numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and even a few great-great grandchildren.

A public viewing of Wanda's remains will be held at the French Funerals & Cremations facility at 1111 University Blvd. NE on Friday, February 9, 2024 at 6-8 pm. A short public graveside service and grave dedication, followed by interment alongside Stan's remains, will be held at Sunset Memorial Park at 924 Menaul Blvd. NE at 11 am on Saturday, February 10, 2024. (The plot is located close to the cemetery's Menaul entrance, just southeast of the Lord's Prayer display/structure.) Finally, a public memorial service will follow at 2 pm at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 12700 Indian School Rd. NE. All who knew and loved Wanda are welcome to come celebrate, with her family, her long and loving life. (There will be a Zoom feed of the memorial service; for information, contact Kevin Kartchner at (505) 550-1774.)