On September 22, 1956, a pretty baby girl was born to the union of Amos Lee and Ruby Mae Gandy. They were quite used to girls coming into the world because by this time, she was the 5th girl born. Another female in the Gandy family!! The big, brick house at the corner of 13th and Market, right across the street from a Confectionary store called "Dabney's" and the "John Robinson Homes" was filling up fast. Daddy Amos was proud of all of his girls, and treated "Wendy" with tender the love and kindness he displayed to all of his girls. He would accompany his wife, Ruby, to choir rehearsal at Mt. Zion and would stare lovingly at his new baby girl. Ruby was the disciplinarian in the house, and she kept everyone in line and ran a tight ship. The twins (Fredericka and Frances) and Jackie would put Winifred into a shopping bag when she was about two years old, and to their delight, she seemed to enjoy the gesture and would smile and smile every time it happened. Wendy went on to graduate from East St. Louis Sr. High School in 1974, playing a flute in the band while she was there; then attended Illinois State in Normal and Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville (SIUE), where she graduated with a degree in Education. Winifred joined the United States Marine Corps and was stationed at 29 Palms, California.

Winifred often declared that the two most precious people in her life were her two sons, Joshua Kevin Ball and Jeremiah Amos Ball. Winifred's employment career included teaching at Park Annex in District #189 and teaching at the Kingdom House in St. Louis, Missouri. She worked at the unemployment office in Belleville, IL also. When her health began to fail, Winifred worked as much as she could from home.

Winifred always attended Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church and was baptized there. She worshipped under the pastorage of Rev. C. Cedric Clayborne, Rev. Dr. John Henry Rouse, and Rev. Dr. Curtis E. Levingston, who was her pastor at the time of her death.

Winifred leaves to mourn her sons, Joshua and Jeremiah; grandchildren, Jabari and Zoey; three sisters, Jacqueline F. Johnson, Sharon J. Ward, and Charmyn Gandy; nephews, Terrance L. (Maria) Brown, Keith L. Brown, Courtney C. Ward Jr., and Jason Bean; nieces, Keisha L. Brown, Amin M. Mohorn, Arrie L. Mohorn, Whitney E. Bean, LaKeisha M. Williams, Wendi E. Bean, and Kendra E. Dailey; great nephews, Kaylon, Jordan, Nickolai, Dakari, Micah, and Gabriel; great niece, Aria Brown, and a host of cousins and other family and friends.