Fern Lee Johnson Wendt, 92, went to be with her Lord on October 22, 2022, in New Braunfels, Texas.  She was a much beloved mother, mother-in-law, aunt, grandmother and great grandmother (known as Mimi).

Fern Lee was born on February 8, 1930, in Greenbrier, Arkansas to Jessie Jane May Johnson and Robert Franklin Johnson.

When she was 3 years old, her family moved to Conway, Arkansas, where her brother attended college.  Some of the other places she lived as a child include Ft. Smith, Little Rock, and North Little Rock, Arkansas.  Fern graduated from Arkansas State Teachers College.  Her first job was teaching high school in North Little Rock.

Sometime after that, she took a junior high teaching job in Orange Grove, Texas, where she also coached basketball.  There she was introduced to Herbert Clarence Wendt in a drugstore in 1954.  Their first date was a movie and his friend came along!

Herb and Fern married on July 21, 1957 at the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Orange Grove, Texas.  Fern was late to the wedding!

Along with a long career as an admired and favorite teacher, Fern was an active member of her schools and communities.  Just a smattering of her numerous interests, awards and recognitions included Girl Scouts, Rainbow Girls, the Acapella Choir, debate team, and square dancing in college, Pi Kappa Sigma Sorority, YWCA Young Adult Director, Cub Scouts Den Mother, and Outstanding Teacher in both North Little Rock and Corpus Christi.  A couple of her many organizations included the Classroom Teachers Association, and lifetime member of PTA.

She enjoyed reading and playing Bridge all her life.  In her later years, she had great fun calling Bingo at Rio Terra Senior Community.  She definitely liked being in charge – in fact, she would always instruct the chef at Rio Terra how to prepare a recipe the way her Mama did it (the right way)!

Fern especially loved spending time with her immediate and extended family and friends.  She would go on trips with her nephews, nieces, and their kids to attend many of their events.  She also had innumerable lifetime close friends, a few of which were Barbara & Dan Purcell and Dot & Atlee McCampbell.  She had a zest for life and was always known as the "Life of the Party!"

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Herb Wendt, her brother, Willie Johnson and his wife, Bettye Johnson, her brother-in-law, Tommy Warner, and her sister-in-law, Ellie Wendt.

Fern is survived by her sons: Howard Leigh Wendt, and Bryan Scott Wendt and wife, Janice Wendt; grandchildren: Lauren Lee Crain and husband, Kevin Crain, Taylor Allison Sanner and husband, Matt Sanner, and Christian Scott Wendt and wife, Alex Wendt; great grandchildren:  Josephine Rubylee Crain, Eliza Sanner, Adelaide Crain, Klara Sanner, and Hudson Scott Wendt; and sister Velma Warner; and numerous beloved nieces and nephews.

Visitation will be held from 5-7:00 pm on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at the Doeppenschmidt Funeral Home, New Braunfels.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, October 28, 2022 at Cross Lutheran Church, New Braunfels.

Graveside Service & Interment will follow that afternoon at 4:30 pm at Sons of Hermann Cemetery, S. County Road 351, Orange Grove, Texas.

She was loved by everyone, but mostly by her family.   We were Blessed.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Cross Lutheran Church.

Please sign the guestbook at www.doeppenschmidtfuneralhome.com