Wanda Rhuine (Rue) McDonald

LUBBOCK, TX - Wanda Rhuine (Rue) McDonald, affectionately known as Nana, saw Jesus and was ushered into Heaven from Primrose Retirement Community on March 11, 2025. Rue was born on March 25, 1937, in Kiblah, Arkansas, to Jesse Phillip Crain and Myrtle Edith (Smith) Crain. Edith divorced and remarried Thomas Glen Coffman, and this new happy family moved out west! Rue remembered driving with her brothers, Ronald and Gary, in an old car with no AC in the Arkansas heat all the way to Odessa. Four years later, Little Brother Mike was born and Rhuine loved having her baby brother!

While attending Odessa High School, Rhuine Crain was very involved in the band, retaining the 1st chair in snare drum before falling in love with a handsome trombone player, Neil McDonald. It was love at first sight! These two promised to love and to cherish, in sickness and in health, till death do us part on June 7, 1957. In 67 years of marriage, they were only separated by 8 weeks as Neil died January 9th, 2025.

Nana's entire life was devoted to her family whom she loved deeply. She is survived by her daughter, Lisa, and husband Dr. Michael Robertson of Lubbock and son, Lance, and wife Lauren McDonald of Ft. Worth. Their daughter, Lauri Scull Brown, went to Heaven in 2014. But her greatest joy was her grandchildren! She adored Chris and Vanessa Robertson of Spring Branch, Texas, Cory and Lauren Robertson of Kalispell, Montana, Casey and Courtney Scull of Ft. Worth, Texas, and Shelbie McDonald of Arlington, Texas. That joy was further increased by the addition of 5 great grandkids!

Nana's greatest pleasure was baking her famous ZuNana bread and sourdough bread. She was an excellent cook and loved feeding her family and friends. Rue's notoriety was also in her gardening! She was a Master Gardener, and her flower beds and yards were always beautiful and perfect! "Yard of the Month" was a frequent award achieved in every house they lived in including Odessa, Andrews, Midland, Ft. Worth, Austin, and Lubbock.

Neil and Rue moved to Lubbock in 2012 to be closer to family. She loved living on the golf course and planting her flowers. Rue loved attending the Growing Disciples Class at Monterey Church of Christ where they called home. She always said they had never felt love in a church home like they did at Monterey. She made forever friends who loved her through her health trials and encouraged her spirit along that hard road.

In early 2022, Rue was diagnosed with colon cancer. The chemo and radiation cured the cancer but took an awful toll on her body. It was then that Brenda Garcia became her full-time caregiver and remained Rue's best friend until her death last Tuesday. A huge thank you to Bradley Madison and Calvert Personal Companion Service (CPCS) for sending Brenda as well as Katherine, Lupe, Josey, Presleigh, Paige, Monica, and others along this journey. Rue received the gift of excellent, loving care these past 3 years from these wonderful ladies.

As her mobility declined and her dementia progressed, Neil and Rue left their treasured house to move to Primrose Retirement Community. Hospice Of Lubbock took amazing care of Rue during her last days. Elizabeth Abraham led us all in prayer as Rue saw Heaven and entered Eternity. She was greeted by her beloved Neil, her daughter Lauri, her brother Ronald, her parents, and countless friends.

Rue donated her body to Texas Tech Health Sciences Center in honor of her daughter Lauri.

Joint services for both Neil and Rue will be held Monday, March 24th, at 2:00 pm at Monterey Church of Christ, 6111 82nd, Lubbock, TX 79424. Donations can be made to Monterey Church of Christ, attention Music Ministry.

It is with sincere gratitude that we thank Dr. Brad Snodgrass and his staff for their exceptional care over the past many years as well as to Dr. Jeremy Brown and the Hospice of Lubbock staff for their compassionate care and attention to the needs of both Neil and Rue.