LaNell Hadley Wilkins passed to the next phase of her life November 7, 2023, in Brunswick Georgia. She was near family and made the transition peacefully after suffering from the effects of Alzheimer's dementia for the last year.

She is survived by her husband of 56 years David (Dave) Wilkins of Saint Simons Island, Georgia; her mother Orlena Hadley of Carlsbad, New Mexico; her daughter Lori Poppe (Monte) of Austin, Texas; her Son Glen Wilkins (Nicole) of Saint Simons Island, Georgia; her brother Robert Hadley (Ginger) of LaRue, Texas, her Sister Jeanette Chester (Dean) of Carlsbad, New Mexico and James Hadley (Jill) of Sunrise Texas. She was blessed with 5 precocious grandchildren: Miles Wilkins, Jonas Wilkins, Sarah Poppe, Samuel Poppe, and David Poppe.

LaNell was born July 15, 1946, the daughter of a potash miner and a traditional mother. She was raised with Christian values by a protective Irishman father and a mother who accepted her role in the family willingly and completely. She had a tomboy upbring learning to spit and play marbles correctly from her older brother Robert and to protect herself from bullies out of necessity at Thayer apartments in Carlsbad. When her family moved to a house on Frijole Route on the outskirts of Carlsbad her mother went to work outside the home and LaNell became a surrogate mother in the early afternoons, a role she didn't cherish but one she took on dutifully. Her younger siblings were not necessarily cooperative.

In high school her personality became apparent; she was actively involved in a multitude of activities but never was an integral part of any one group. She knew almost everyone and was known for her kindness and acceptance of all. During high school she had no plans of going to college, but a counselor saw her potential and encouraged her to attend. After graduating from high school, she started college at "the branch" of New Mexico State University (NMSU) and later attended NMSU in Las Cruses, New Mexico. LaNell earned a degree in Home Economics Education, the first of her family to graduate from college.

At NMSU, one morning, Dave was looking for a half-way decent looking girl to go sailing with and they met in the cafeteria. She stood him up that morning after noticing he was wearing beaded moccasins. Later she accepted a date with him to get a root beer. Dave recognized the good attributes she possessed and the value that would be added to his life. He didn't let LaNell have too much time to consider her options, he soon proposed to her, and it was accepted. It also didn't hurt that his mother had given him an electric blanket because she thought he would never get married. They were married May 26, 1967, in Las Cruces, New Mexico after convincing the Irish protective father of his good intentions. They both graduated at NMSU, Dave continued attending college and LaNell started teaching home economics at a local middle

school where her caring nature and compassionate approach to teaching high risk girls made her a favorite among the students and their parents.

They moved to Austin, Texas where Dave was employed and LaNell substitute taught in the local schools. Lori Nell was born in Austin. They soon moved to Denver, Colorado where Dave had accepted a new job and after 6 months moved again to Yuma, Arizona. David Glen was born in Yuma and LaNell was a full-time mother and wife putting her home economics training and skills to practical use. They all thrived in Yuma where they became active in a church of Christ and LaNell started teaching at a local junior college.

After about 5 years they moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico because of a job opportunity for Dave. Lori and Glen, of course, grew and matured and LaNell wasn't needed to be the full-time mom, but was always a full-time wife, so she started working outside the home. The jobs were not that fulfilling to her, and she went back to school at the University of New Mexico. She earned a masters degree in reading and became certified to teach K through 12th grade. She accepted a position at a high-risk middle school teaching reading and continued that until the funding was cut. She continued teaching 5th grade at that school because she was needed and because she loved to see the progress her students made with her dedicated and no-nonsense approach to teaching. Once again, she became a much sought after teacher. During the years in Albuquerque LaNell was active in her church, with Lori in 4-H. and with various quilting groups in the area. When Glen built a full-size skateboard ramp in the back yard, she would take the pickup and get scrape wood from construction sites. She monitored the no smoking, no drinking, no swearing policy of the ramp with authority and compassion. Years later kids that came to the house to skate remembered her love and generosity with genuine thanks and gratitude.

For forty years life was good in Albuquerque. Eventually, slight changes in Lanell's abilities and life skills began to surface. Dave did not recognize these changes as dementia, but the effects were taking a toll on Lanell's life. Lori and Glen were becoming surer that she and Dave would need some help soon and pushed for a move to be around family. The opportunity to buy a house on Saint Simons Island, Georgia, where Glen and Nicole now lived, came during a visit in 2022. Against Lanell's wishes David bought the house and they prepared to move.

The move was excruciating for Dave and LaNell, but it seemed to trigger an extraordinary negative response in LaNell. LaNell was moved to Saint Simons Island before the house in Albuquerque was packed and shipped because all the unwanted activity was weighing heavily on her. Even getting away from that activity was too much for her fragile condition and Dave left Albuquerque in just a few hours for Saint Simons Island while Lori finished packing the house.

Dave and LaNell moved into their house with the bare necessities in the way of furniture and accessories. As Glen, Nicole, and Lori helped set up the house on Saint Simons Island LaNell refused to participate in any aspect of the endeavor and became increasingly belligerent and unable to accept the new house and the new way of living. She would leave the house and walk

across the main street through the island looking for a way to escape her tormentors, mainly Dave. She began to go to neighbors and asking to borrow their phones or to be protected from Dave. She would leave the house in the dark and hide in the bushes and woods so she could be safe. It all became very dangerous for her and untenable for the family.

Being new to the area, a doctor was not available, and it was very frustrating to try and find help. Dave took her to the emergency room out of frustration. They found there was plaque buildup in the brain. That was the beginning of dementia dominated life on Saint Simons Island.

The family eventually found a geriatric and psychiatric hospital about 120 miles away and LaNell was admitted to this hospital for treatment. She was diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia and schizoaffective disorder. After a couple of weeks of treatment, she was released and was moved to a memory care facility on Saint Simons Island because there was a water leak at the house, and it was not functional. After about a month, when the house was functioning and LaNell was doing so well, she actually escaped the memory care unit she was so normal. Dave brought her home and with medication she continued doing well. Her personality was changed as she was not nearly as outgoing and social, and she did not have the memory, focus, and sequencing skills for housekeeping or daily living on her own. Those characteristics were compromised years before the move to Saint Simons Island. Occasionally while walking she would become so tired or uncoordinated, she could not get to a chair or the car without major assistance.

The next few months were ok, but she progressively did not want to go anywhere and would get upset if anything was said about her. Occassonally she would sit down at her sewing machine and not know what to do with it. She would begin a sentence and never be able to bring the last word to her mind or voice. She would hardly ever acknowledge she was sick but when she could talk about it there was very little reaction to the conversation. Also, occasionally in a lucid moment she would thank Dave for his help. She got to the point where she seemed to not care much about her appearance and struggled to go anywhere. Dressing and showering were not something she could do and needed assistance.

About a month before her death, she began to lose the ability to walk but she didn't realize that she could not walk and fell numerous times but never broke anything. After a couple of visits to the emergency room where an IV for fluids seemed to help an ambulance was called and she was admitted to the hospital. It was determined that there were 2 occlusions in her brain and a blockage in a major artery to the brain. There was nothing that could be done to correct these problems.

The last 2 weeks of her life were miserable with ambulance rides and being shuttled from one facility to another. She was physically unable to stand or walk and that made her unqualified for memory care and too mentally alert for hospice. Eventually palliative care determined she should be in skilled nursing. She was admitted to that facility but soon it was determined that she would not benefit from therapy. Soon she could not open her mouth to eat and was having trouble swallowing. Finally, she was moved to a very nice hospice facility where she was taken

care of well. After 3 nights she passed with her family near including a sister, a brother, and a niece in the room with her. What a blessing peace is.