Thelma Dillon Wasek

Thelma Lodena “Sandy” Grider Dillon Wasek, 93, Altus, passed away on Saturday, March 22, 2014 at the Plantation Village Nursing Home. Funeral services will be 2:00 PM Thursday, March 27, 2014 at the Kincannon Memorial Chapel with Rev. Doug Altom officiating. Interment will be in the Altus City Cemetery under the direction of the Kincannon Funeral Home. Thelma Lodena “Sandy” Grider was born on February 24, 1921 in Altus, OK to James Marion and Ophelia (Derr) Grider. The day Thelma was born, her father had gone to the river with his horse and wagon to get a load of sand and when he returned the doctor was there and told him that he had a load of “Sand” in the house. J.M. was so pleased that from that day forward he called her “Sandy,” which everyone knew her by. The last of eleven children, she grew up around her dad’s service station business, Griderville. She attended Altus public schools where she loved to play tennis. She and her best friend, Betty Jo Hyde, were champion doubles partners. On February 26, 1938, Sandy married Wayne Garrison. To this union four children were born; Judith “Judy” Ann Garrison, Phillip Wayne Garrison, Janet Sue Garrison and James Smith “Smitty” Garrison. On March 15, 1952, she married Ralph R. “Bud” Dillon. After he adopted all four children, Janet and Smitty changed their last name to Dillon and Judy and Phillip retained the Garrison name. Sandy and Bud reopened Griderville’s Phillip 66 Service Station west of town. Here they worked side by side until he later bought the “66” station on East Broadway and ran that until his death. Sandy was a talented person. She was an excellent seamstress, good cook and loved hosting all the family dinners. In her later life, she became interested in genealogy and researched all her family line and became a member of the Anne Lee Chapter of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution. She also wrote poetry. One of her poems is on the back of the memorial card. She was a member of the Tabernacle Baptist Church. After Bud’s death, she married John Wasek. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Wayne Garrison, Bud Dillon and John Wasek, her parents, a son, Smitty Dillon, her brothers and sisters, and a nephew, Blaine Stephen. She is survived by a son, Phillip Garrison and wife, Marjorie, of Altus, OK; two daughters, Judy Fladland and husband, Richard, of Stagecoach, NV and Janet Wright and husband, Cecil, of Altus, OK; a niece, Marion Grider Stephen of Altus, OK; a nephew, Al Ballard of Oklahoma City, OK; eight grandchildren, thirteen great grandchildren and seven great great grandchildren. The family will host a visitation at 1:00 PM, prior to the service at the Kincannon Funeral Home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Anne Lee Chapter of the D.A.R. c/o Mary Holsey @ Altus Coldwell Banker Realtors. Additional parking for the service is available behind the funeral home, Best Western to the South or Western Sizzlin’ to the North. Family and friends unable to attend may log on to kincannonfuneralhome.com 30 minutes prior to the service, click on the “Live Services” tab, to view the live webcast of the funeral. TO VIEW THE LIVE WEBCAST CLICK BELOW! http://video.bchristian.tv/players/Xe2rc3Y2-24w6OoqI.js