Mary Elaine Wheeler

Mary Elaine Wheeler, 80, died peacefully surrounded by family on February 27, 2010, in Ankeny, Iowa, after a long illness.

Mary was born July 14, 1929, in LeGrand, Iowa, the daughter of T. Myron and Eunice Sawyer. She graduated from LeGrand High School and from Iowa State Teachers College (Cedar Falls) with a B.A. degree.

In 1949, she married Aaron Lee Wheeler of Oelwein, Iowa. To this union are the five surviving children, Marie (Robert) Sander from Wisconsin, Jeff (Tonya) Wheeler, Nedra Wheeler and Tami Wheeler from Iowa, Rhonda (Lawrence) Dennis from Florida, and grandchildren Megan (Ridge) Howard, Ryan (Jessica) Sander, and Holly Wheeler.

Mary and Aaron resided 17 years in Hampton, Iowa, and 16 years in Marshalltown, Iowa, where Aaron taught at the Marshalltown Community College. In 1985, the couple retired to Sun City West, Arizona, where Mary lived until 2008, when she returned to Iowa.

Preceding Mary in death were her parents, husband Aaron (1997), brother Robert Sawyer (2008), and sister Charlotte Rowlison (2003).

Mary was active throughout her life in church, Girl and Boy Scouts, PTA, Kiwanis, and assisting her husband in the National Association of Foreign Students. Her love of family, nature, crafting, holiday decorating and sports was enthusiastically shared with all who knew her.

An informal celebration of life gathering will be held at Hamilton’s near Highland Memory Gardens, 121 NW 60th Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa, from 1 to 3 pm on Saturday, April 10. Memorials may be made in Mary’s name to a charity of your choice or to the Rock Island National Cemetery in Rock Island, Illinois.

www.HamiltonsFuneralHome.com

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