Arriving on her Daddy’s birthday in Wichita Falls, TX, Sheila Ann Spanhanks was born September 18, 1953 to Buster Lynn and Thelma Bernice Spanhanks and departed this life in Idabel, OK on December 16, 2025 at the age of 72.
At the age of 3, Sheila was burned in a house fire. Over 90% of her body covered in 3rd degree burns, and not expected to survive, she not only beat the odds, she outlived their prognosis that she wouldn’t live past 21 by over 50 years. Her family moved to Walters Ok when she was 5 where she attended school and graduated from Walters High School. She was the youngest girl and older than her 2 brothers. She was a big part of the community and played high school sports and summer softball. She loved all of her sports cars; and her favorite was her red Ford flare side pickup truck. She was a huge OU fan and watched every softball and football game every season and made sure she had a championship T-shirt every time they won. During her stay at the Burn Center in Galveston, the Dallas Cowboys would come to visit the children. She was a die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan until her last breath.
Her hobbies included fishing, camping, and travelling. She taught her nieces and nephews and all of the greats to bait a hook and fish. She took care of her mom and dad as they aged and was a legendary Aunt to her nieces and nephews, and Nana to her great ones. After her parents passed she shared her life with her sister Pat and was her care giver until Pat passed away from cancer, proud that Pat never had a bed sore. She spent the last 11 years with her niece Elicia in The Woodlands TX for 5 years, and Ft Worth for 2 and the last 4 living on 200 acres in McCurtain County close to her family’s roots in the Choctaw Nation. She loved her family and they love her. Everywhere she went, she spread hope and love. She was Nana to many greats and she showed 5 generations how to love and be loved. Her legacy and spirit were unmatched and she will be greatly missed.
Sheila was preceded in death by: parents, Buster and Bernice Spanhanks, sisters Betty Spanhanks, Pat Spanhanks, brothers Wayne Spanhanks and Robert Spanhanks, nephew David Wayne Bruton, and great niece Sutton Simpson.
Survivors include a sister Janice Spanhanks; nieces and nephews, Elicia Lizarraga, Stephanie Graves and husband Larry Graves, Judy Simpson and husband Greg Simpson, Sheila Hill, Karrie and husband Ethan Hollingshead, Kiera and Brett Bagley, Kris Bruton, David Bruton Jr., Charity Kahout and husband Grant Kahout, Raegan and husband Andy Nickerson, Jason Spanhanks and wife Emily, Derek Spanhanks and wife Natasha Spanhanks, Vincent Spanhanks and wife Lindsay and many great nieces and nephews who called her Nana.
Obituary provided by Hart-Wyatt Funeral Home