Wanda Lou Pettry

Wanda Lou Pettry, age 80, of Perry, passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 8, 2026, at the Eden Acres Campus of Perry Lutheran Homes.

A Celebration of Life will be held at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 14, 2026, at Wanda and Arnold’s home, 417 Warford Street, Perry, Iowa 50220. A private family burial will take place at Valley View Cemetery in rural Perry. Cards of sympathy may be sent to Arnold Pettry, 417 Warford Street, Perry, Iowa 50220. Online condolences may be shared with the family at www.caldwellparrish.com.

Wanda was born on February 6, 1946, in West Virginia, the daughter of James and Carrie (West) Long. She was a twin to her sister, Brenda, and one of eleven children.

She was united in marriage to Arnold Pettry in 1964, and together they were blessed with 62 years of marriage. Wanda and Arnold first met as children when Wanda was 8 and Arnold was 11, a connection that grew into a lifelong love. Through hard work and dedication, they built their home on Warford Street from the ground up, a proud and lasting accomplishment.

Wanda enjoyed coloring, tending to her flower gardens, and watching birds—especially the bird feeder outside her window. Above all, she loved her family. She was a kind and gentle woman with a warm spirit, the type of person who could be “anyone’s grandma,” truly the heart and soul of her family.

She is survived by her husband, Arnold Pettry of Perry; her children, Sandra Pettry of Perry, Brenda Jean Nicolaisen of Hawaii, Wanda Kmet of Des Moines, and Sherry Pettry of Jefferson; 15 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; her brother, Tommy Long of West Virginia; her twin sister, Brenda Sue Pettry of Cedar Rapids; along with many nieces, nephews, other relatives, and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her daughters, Joella Lynn Pettry and Sara Jean Pettry; and her siblings, Robert Wesley Long, Meral Long, James Long, Ethel Lovejoy, Samuel Long, Carol Wade, Margaret Jordan, and Roy Long.