Wanda Lynn Bond Breland was born on April 29, 1936, to Emmett and Edith Bond in Perkinston, Mississippi. She died on September 19, 2019, in Clinton, Mississippi, at age 83.
She is survived by her son, John M. Breland of Clinton; two brothers, Charles Bond and Clark Bond; three sisters, Thana Bachelor, Pat Rouse, and Carol Sue Diaz; and three grandchildren, Barrett Breland, Anna Breland, and Grant Breland. In addition to her parents, she has now reunited with her husband, G.W. “Buddy” Breland; her daughter, Mary Ann Breland; and her grandson, Parker Breland.
After graduating from Perkinston High School, Wanda obtained her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from the University of Southern Mississippi. In 1958, she married Buddy Breland, a marriage that would continue strong for 60 years until Buddy’s death in 2018. She taught high school English in Perkinston until John was born in 1962. Afterwards, she devoted herself to full-time motherhood and homemaking. Mary Ann was born in 1966 but lived for only three short months.
In 1967, Wanda added a new role: pastor’s wife. She was an inseparable part of her husband’s ministry for 50 years of services, hospital and home visits, revival meetings, Bible studies, Sunday school literature writing, and associational work. She was always present and engaged.
Her favorite role was being “MawMaw” to Barrett, Anna, Parker and Grant. She loved for them to visit—especially those extended visits at Christmas and in the summertime. She loved to bake, play games, make crafts and read stories. She, together with Grandad, helped give then golden memories of life in the country.
Despite the diseases that eventually stole her ability to walk and care for herself, she never complained. Just a few days before her death, Andrea, her daughter-in-law, read a passage from Psalms about contentment. “I need more of that,” Wanda said--exactly what we would expect to hear, we thought, from one of the most contented people who ever lived! She leaves a legacy of kindness, patience, hard work, and dedication to God and family. We will miss her, but we rejoice in her healing, and we look forward to joining her in the reunion for which she has already arrived.
Services will be 3:00 p.m., Monday, September 23, 2019, at Sunflower Baptist Church with visitation beginning at 1:30 p.m. The burial will be in the church cemetery. Moore Funeral Services in Wiggins is in charge of the arrangements.
