Mary Wheeler

MARY ELLEN WHEELER Mary Ellen Wheeler, daughter of Roy Ancil and Opal Claxton Stewart, was born March 13, 1930 in Competition, Missouri. She departed this life, Wednesday, April 18, 2007 at her daughter's home in Kansas City, Missouri, at the age of seventy-seven years, one month and five days. On September 26, 1952, she was united in marriage to Ronald William Wheeler and to this union three children were born. Mary and Ronald shared twenty-six wonderful years together until his passing on March 7, 1979. She was also preceded in death by her parents; her sister, Lou Ella Tripp; her brother-in-law Garold Tripp; sisters-in-law, Judy Stewart, Minnie Stewart and Janice Henry and husband Donald; two nephews, Ronald Stewart and Mark Henry; great-grandson, Keith Lorn Goldsberry and great-granddaughter, Emily Beth Wilson. Survivors include her children, Stewart Wheeler and wife Shelia of Lenexa, Kansas, April Wilson, Denise Wheeler, and partner Bill Stevenson, all of Kansas City, Missouri; three brothers, Thomas Stewart and his wife Arlene of Mesa, Arizona, James Stewart and his wife Paulette of Hartville, Missouri and Bobby Stewart of San Mateo, California; one sister, Leota Pratt and her husband Charles, of Branson, Missouri; twelve grandchildren; fourteen great-grandchildren and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. Mary was raised in Grovespring, Missouri and was a graduate of Hartville High School. In 1948, she moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where she worked as a bookkeeper for Helzberg's Jewelers and Associated Agencies Insurance Company. In 1957, she and her husband moved to Seattle, Washington, and worked with Boeing Aircraft Company. In 1970, she and her family moved to Sunrise Beach. She then became a school teacher and taught in the lake area until 1980. Mary had made a profession of faith at an early age and was an active member of the First Baptist Church of Sunrise Beach. In 1980, she was appointed as a missionary by the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention, serving in Taiwan and Paraguay for eight years. She also served with the Home Mission Board for three and a half years, working mainly with Native Americans in Kansas City. She drove a school bus for thirty-eight years before her health failed, and also cared for many foster children. Mary was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and was a caring neighbor and friend. She will be fondly remembered and greatly missed by her family and many dear friends. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Monday, April 23, 2007, at Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home with Reverend Mearl Laswell and Reverend Cecil King officiating. Burial will follow at the Dale Blair Memorial Cemetery in Camdenton, Missouri under the direction of Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home. Visitation will be Sunday, from 3-5 p.m. in the funeral Home. Arrangements are under the direction of Allee-Holman-Howe Funeral Home of Camdenton.