Obituary for Homer Howard Wheeler
Greer Funeral Home
235 South Pennsylvania
Mangum, Oklahoma 73554
(580) 782-3323
WHEELER
Homer Howard Wheeler, age 89, of Rockport, Texas, formerly of Greer County, passed away early Wednesday, November 14, 2012, in a Rockport Care Center.
Mr. Wheeler was born in rural Greer County on September 30, 1923, to Homer and Beulah (Markum) Wheeler, and tended to by his only sibling, Lazette, who was a little mother to Howard during the long hours while their mother Beulah worked in the fields. Many days they would sit under the float wagon, which hauled cotton bundles from the fields, swatting at gnats and waiting for the day to end when they could go home. Lazette recalled the Saturday chores which included sweeping the dirt yard " Howard would load the piles into his little wagon and cart them off to the field. For his own amusement, he would agitate her into chasing him around the yard with her broom.
The Wheelers farmed land for Homer"s father until they purchased their own place in Hester, Oklahoma. Howard went to school in Martha. His father died in 1934; and he became the man of the house, although he had been quite the farm hand as a toddler. He was quick to tell how he had to climb up on a bucket to reach the horse"s head to put on its bridle.
He married the youngest Walser sister, Billie Sue, of Blair, OK. After serving in the Army during World War II as a Demolitions Expert, the young family man joined the Woolworth Company for a career in retail that spanned several decades. The junior assistant store manager was moved frequently as he paid his dues with the national retail chain. Howard and Billie Sue had two children " Karen Sue and Rodney Howard. The family lived in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio and Texas. His first promotion as Store Manager was to Akron, Ohio, and from there he opened a new store in Cleveland. He stayed with Woolworth until 1970 at which time he headed West to open one of the first mega retail stores for TG &Y in Corona, California. He took early retirement and lived in Rancho Cucamonga with Billie Sue until her early passing in 1990. Another special lady came into his life, Betty Albanese, and they spent some 15 years together enjoying retirement. Howard"s son Rodney and his wife Pat live in nearby Anaheim.
In March of 2007, Howard moved from California to Aransas Pass, Texas (near Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico), to be near his daughter Karen and her husband Paul who gratefully spent his final years living just around the corner from him in Pelican Cove, a water canal community. He was PawPaw to their two dogs and adopted Buddy, a rescue dog, who became his loyal companion.
Funeral services for Howard Wheeler will be at 2 p.m., Monday, November 26, 2012, at the Martha Cemetery under the direction of Greer Funeral Home of Mangum.
Online tributes may be made to the family at www.GreerFuneral.com
11/26/2012
2:00 PM
Graveside
Martha Cemetery
n/aa
Martha
OK
Read More
235 South Pennsylvania
Mangum, Oklahoma 73554
(580) 782-3323
WHEELER
Homer Howard Wheeler, age 89, of Rockport, Texas, formerly of Greer County, passed away early Wednesday, November 14, 2012, in a Rockport Care Center.
Mr. Wheeler was born in rural Greer County on September 30, 1923, to Homer and Beulah (Markum) Wheeler, and tended to by his only sibling, Lazette, who was a little mother to Howard during the long hours while their mother Beulah worked in the fields. Many days they would sit under the float wagon, which hauled cotton bundles from the fields, swatting at gnats and waiting for the day to end when they could go home. Lazette recalled the Saturday chores which included sweeping the dirt yard " Howard would load the piles into his little wagon and cart them off to the field. For his own amusement, he would agitate her into chasing him around the yard with her broom.
The Wheelers farmed land for Homer"s father until they purchased their own place in Hester, Oklahoma. Howard went to school in Martha. His father died in 1934; and he became the man of the house, although he had been quite the farm hand as a toddler. He was quick to tell how he had to climb up on a bucket to reach the horse"s head to put on its bridle.
He married the youngest Walser sister, Billie Sue, of Blair, OK. After serving in the Army during World War II as a Demolitions Expert, the young family man joined the Woolworth Company for a career in retail that spanned several decades. The junior assistant store manager was moved frequently as he paid his dues with the national retail chain. Howard and Billie Sue had two children " Karen Sue and Rodney Howard. The family lived in Oklahoma, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio and Texas. His first promotion as Store Manager was to Akron, Ohio, and from there he opened a new store in Cleveland. He stayed with Woolworth until 1970 at which time he headed West to open one of the first mega retail stores for TG &Y in Corona, California. He took early retirement and lived in Rancho Cucamonga with Billie Sue until her early passing in 1990. Another special lady came into his life, Betty Albanese, and they spent some 15 years together enjoying retirement. Howard"s son Rodney and his wife Pat live in nearby Anaheim.
In March of 2007, Howard moved from California to Aransas Pass, Texas (near Corpus Christi on the Gulf of Mexico), to be near his daughter Karen and her husband Paul who gratefully spent his final years living just around the corner from him in Pelican Cove, a water canal community. He was PawPaw to their two dogs and adopted Buddy, a rescue dog, who became his loyal companion.
Funeral services for Howard Wheeler will be at 2 p.m., Monday, November 26, 2012, at the Martha Cemetery under the direction of Greer Funeral Home of Mangum.
Online tributes may be made to the family at www.GreerFuneral.com
11/26/2012
2:00 PM
Graveside
Martha Cemetery
n/aa
Martha
OK
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