A History of the Wheeler Family

A HISTORY OF THE WHEELER FAMILY

Revised 2017

Copyright © 2017 by Bruce Buzz Wheeler

Prepared for publication by Stellar Communications Houston

This book is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or other unauthorized use of the material herein is prohibited without the express written permission of the author. For information, contact Stellar Communications Houston.

The author has endeavored to recount and compile events, conversations, and data as accurately as possible.

Originally compiled by Lloyd Wheeler and William Wheeler, August 1994.

Revised February 2017.

Published in the United States of America.

A History of the Wheeler Family

Hardcover ISBN 978-1-944952-19-8

ISBN 978-1-944952-20-4 (e-book)

Stellar Communications Houston

www.stellarwriter.com

281.804.7089

A LETTER to the FAMILY

1994

Dear Family,

When the idea of a Wheeler family reunion was first put forward in early 1993 we felt it would be an unusual event. Of course, in the 1960s and 1970s the Wheelers and Swansons would get together almost every Thanksgiving and Christmas at Ted and Margaret’s home in Grand Island. But now the children, grandchildren and great grandchildren of Ted and Margaret live in ten different states with a majority residing outside of Nebraska. Family reunions are likely to be very special occasions from here on out. Mary Kay (Wheeler) Tuma deserves a lot of thanks for bringing all of us together.

Because of the special nature of this family reunion (and because we had plenty of warning) we decided to put together some type of document about the history of the Wheelers, and this book is the product of that effort. The question Where did I come from? is a popular topic in our society today. Many people can answer that question in part by pointing to some ethnic culture or tradition, but the Wheelers have been in North America so long that we can only guess about our European roots. Many of our family’s traditions and beliefs have been formed out of the lives of our recent ancestors (including, and maybe especially, Ted and Margaret’s lives). We’re willing to wager that as you read this book you will recognize something about yourself. At the very least, when someone asks Where did you come from? you will be able to speak with some authority.

The information in this book comes from U.S. census records, history books, newspaper articles, photographs, questionnaires filled out by family members and memories. We have tried to be as factual as possible, but we cannot guarantee that everything in this book is accurate. We hope you enjoy reading this history. We certainly had fun putting it together.

Sincerely,

Lloyd J. Wheeler & William J. Wheeler

A LETTER to the FAMILY

2017

Dear Family,

For the past 20+ years, I have treasured the original volume of Wheeler Family History written by my dad and Bill. But a lot has happened in the lives of us Wheelers since that original volume was published. I’ve enjoyed hearing of your lives and accomplishments through the years, and I decided that it was time to update this book with the happenings of the last two decades. Along the way, we’ve collected additional memories of days gone by, and we’re pleased to add those in this volume as well.

I can’t help but smile when I think of my hardworking grandparents taking a risk on that first Wheeler’s store — what would they think if they could see how their legacy has impacted so many generations? We Wheelers are now scattered all over the country, living out our own versions of love and achievement.

But our family’s success and mobility comes at a cost, which is the loss of our rich legacy of stories. Back in 1994, my dad and Bill did their part to preserve our family’s history: compiling a book that chronicled Wheeler history in America up until that point. Over the past year, I asked for your help in updating their family history book with the happenings of the last few decades.

And you certainly came through! I think the book will be something we’ll all enjoy, and it will allow us to share our stories with our children and grandchildren. Thanks for your help with the project.

Sincerely,

Buzz Wheeler

How our fathers toiled and how much they suffered, we, their descendants, who are now enjoying the fruits of their labors, can never realize or know; we owe them a debt of gratitude which we can never pay. The best we can do, is to live worthy lives, and try to keep green the memories of those who did so little for themselves and so much for us.

From The First Chapter of Norwegian Immigration,

by Rasmus B. Anderson, 1896

TABLE of CONTENTS

I. EARLY ANCESTORS

The Wheelers

The Clarks

The Andersons

The Greens

The Cooks

II. WILLIAM A. & CATHERINE A. WHEELER

III. WILLIAM H. & SARAH P. WHEELER

IV. LLOYD H. & MARGARET M. WHEELER

Early Years

Farming

Clarissa

Battle Lake

Nebraska

Arizona

V. DESCENDANTS OF LLOYD H. & MARGARET M. WHEELER

Lloyd J. Wheeler Family

James H. Wheeler Family

Shirley A. Eberspacher Family

Beverly J. Swanson Family

INDEX

I. EARLY ANCESTORS

*Second wife is Marie Wagner, who was born August 25, 1927. Th ey were married on December 7, 1962.

There are five distinct families which make up the known ancestors of Lloyd H. (Ted) Wheeler and Margaret M. Green. Besides the Wheelers and the Greens, they include the Clarks, the Andersons, and the Cooks. The family trees shown on the previous pages identify the known ancestors and demonstrate their relationship to each other. What has been discovered about the early ancestors of these five families is described in greater detail below. With more time (and access to Canadian census records) it may be possible to learn more about each of these families.

THE WHEELERS

The Wheelers have, with certainty, been traced back to Ira Wheeler, who was probably born in Charlestown, New Hampshire, on June 15, 1809. A History of Northern Minnesota written in 1902 suggests that Ira was born in New York State but he is quite likely the Ira Wheeler born in New Hampshire who is identified in The History of the Wheeler Family in America written in 1914. If the latter book is correct then it is possible to trace the Wheelers back to a Joseph Wheeler who was born in Concord, Massachusetts, around 1680.

The Wheelers have been in America a long time. The history mentioned above claims that Wheeler was the most common name in America prior to 1650. There were Wheelers in Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia: in Concord, Massachusetts, 35 families bore the name in 1640. These early Wheelers were Puritans and, like many others who emigrated to America during this period, they were fleeing from religious persecution in England. Many of the Wheelers apparently came from Odell, in the county of Bedford, in England.

Charlotte (Raymond) Wheeler, (1810 - ?)

The origin of the name Wheeler doesn’t have anything to do with making wheels, e.g. a wheelwright. It’s an old Saxon name, originally spelled Wielher, which first appeared in the eighth century when surnames were quite rare and were often not passed on from generation to generation. Wielher is the compound of two separate Anglo-Saxon words: wiel meaning prosperous or fortunate and heri meaning warrior or hero. So the modern translation of Wheeler might be the lucky warrior or the prosperous hero.

Returning to Ira, he was a shoemaker, and sometime early in his life he moved to Canada, where he met and married Charlotte Raymond. Charlotte was born in Canada on January 19, 1810, and, although her date of death has not been discovered, she is known to have lived to at least age 93. Charlotte’s father was born in Vermont and her mother was from Canada.

Ira and Charlotte had a son, William Amos Wheeler, who was born in Brockville, Ontario, Canada, on October 17, 1834. William went to public school, and, even though Ira died when he was quite young, William learned his father’s trade. A short biography of William A. in the History of Northern Minnesota explains that being a shoemaker was not suited to his tastes so he turned his attention to agriculture and also was handy with tools and learned the carpenter’s trade. William A. Wheeler married Catherine A. Clark on February 14, 1859 (Valentine’s Day). A description of the remainder of their lives is given later in this history.

William A. Wheeler (1834-1903) and Catherine A. (Clark) Wheeler (1837-1931)

Ira and Charlotte are believed to have had nine children, four of whom were still alive in 1900. Charlotte eventually followed some of her children, including William A., to the United States and Minnesota. According to U.S. Census records, in 1900 she was living in Hastings, Minnesota, with her daughter, Chloe Truax. Chloe, a dressmaker, was born in February, 1839 in Canada. She gave birth to six children, three of whom were alive in 1900. The census records also indicate that she was divorced. Chloe emigrated from Canada to the United States in 1857.

THE CLARKS

Catherine A. Clark’s ancestors were described in a newspaper article found in Margaret Wheeler’s Bible. The article, entitled Fairfield and Its Pioneers, is from The Recorder and Times, April 11, 1927 of Fairfield East, Canada. The article describes the early pioneers of Fairfield and mentions Nathan Clark, who was born in East Dorset, Vermont, on June 16, 1749. Nathan married Sarah Gifford on March 23, 1775, and together they had seven children between 1775 and 1791. The eldest, Abram (sometimes called Hiram), was born in 1775 and later married Catherine Bissell, a Canadian. The 1790 U.S. Census shows the Clarks living in Dorsett Township of Bennington County. Umphory Gifford’s family lived adjacent to the Clarks. This was probably Sarah’s father or brother.

In March 1794, the Clarks left East Dorset, Vermont, and moved to Canada, becoming one of the early settlers of Fairfield a few years later. The article explains that the Clarks were part of a group known as the United Empire Loyalists who emigrated to Canada during this period:

These people had previously lived, no doubt, happily, somewhere in America, or United States now, but who, preferring to suffer persecution, loss of property, as well as danger of losing their lives, remained true to their king, their flag, and their conscience. Consequently they found that residing in the States became unbearable (being looked upon as rebels, traitors and outlaws), so they separated themselves from home and friends to seek homes in primitive Upper Canada. On arrival here they found the land in the district of Johnstown, along the St. Lawrence river, a veritable wilderness, but undaunted they preferred to start anew, so secured land.

In 1821, Nathan Clark purchased 200 acres and a log cabin from Peter McEathron. There is a legend about the Clark farm that a pot of gold was buried somewhere on it during the War of 1812. Many seekers and diggers came to search for the gold, but no one was ever successful in finding it. After Nathan Clark died, one of his sons, Robert, assumed ownership of the farm. The Clark family still lived on the farm as of 1927, the date of the article.

Little is known about Abram Clark (Nathan’s oldest son) and Catherine Bissell. It may be that a generation has been skipped because when Catherine A. Clark was born on December 1, 1837, in Brockville, Ontario, Abram would have been 62 years old. Catherine’s father may actually have been Hiram, possibly the son of Abram, but this confusion can only be solved by an examination of the Canadian census records. A sister of Catherine’s, Lib Cole, is mentioned as still being alive in New York state when Catherine died in 1931. Although it could not be confirmed, it appears that other members of the Clark family joined Catherine and her husband in Minnesota. Abram died in 1843 at age 68.

Photo taken by Lois Wheeler in 1920 of Hiram Clark’s farm home outside of Fairfield East, Canada

THE ANDERSONS

John P. Anderson and Ida P. Landeen were the last of the early ancestors to emigrate to the United States. John was born in Sweden on May 12, 1848, and came to Carlos, Minnesota in 1881 at the age of 33. Ida was born in Sweden on July 12, 1859, and arrived in the United States in 1882 at age 23. Ida had a brother, John V. Landeen (1861-1918), who later operated a saloon in Carlos. John and Ida were married in 1883, and when they went to Alexandria to get the marriage license, they rode on a sled filled with Christmas trees.

Their first child, Sarah Pauline Anderson, was born on September 22, 1884. Sarah married William H. Wheeler on June 25, 1904. A description of their lives is given later in this history. John and Ida had three other children, Helmer (Ole), Edith, and Frances, who were born between 1886 and 1894. John and Ida farmed outside of Carlos for many years. John died at the age of 79 on May 21, 1927, while Ida lived to age 81, dying on May 26, 1941.

Ida P. (Landeen) Anderson, (1859-1941)

In 1882, prior to her marriage to John Anderson, Ida gave birth to a daughter in Sweden named Helen. Helen also emigrated to Minnesota and later married George (Mack) McCarn, who was originally from New York. Together they owned and operated the Hunters Hot Springs Hotel in Park County, Montana. The hotel was just north of Yellowstone National Park. Hunters Hot Springs was famous for its hot and cold springs and mineral water, which were said to have a healing effect. George and Helen bought the hotel sometime in the early 1900s. Ida enjoyed Hunters Hot Springs and stayed out there often. Ole and his wife Nora also worked at the hotel in the late 1920s. Nora did the laundry, while one of Ole’s jobs was to pick up guests at the train station every day at five o’clock. Ole would say that the guests came to the hotel on stretchers but would be walking when they left.

Later, Mack McCarn committed suicide and though the reason is not clear, alcoholism was suspected. Helen continued to operate the hotel for several years until it was destroyed by fire. She moved to Billings, Montana, and later died in 1948 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Helen and Mack are reputed to be buried in Billings, but this has not been confirmed. Helen had a daughter, Dora, who was born out of wedlock in 1900. She died in 1910 and is buried in the Carlos cemetery. Helen also owned a travertine mine in Park County, Montana, the ownership of which, upon her death, transferred to her three living siblings and the three sons of Sarah. The mine was successful and Lloyd H. (Ted) Wheeler received between $5,000 and $10,000 in profits in the 1950s.

Helen (Anderson) McCarn (1882-1948), Ida P. (Landeen) Anderson (1859-1941), and George (Mack) McCarn

Hunters Hot Springs Hotel in Montana

Helmer John (Ole) Anderson was born on July 4, 1886. He married Nora E. Wheeler (one of Ira’s daughters) on July 31, 1912. Ole and Nora farmed outside of Carlos and later worked at Hunters Hot Springs. Ole also operated a restaurant and beer tavern in Carlos. They had two children, both of whom were born in Carlos: Eugene (Gene) John was born on May 25, 1913, and Leona L. (Sis) was born on April 18, 1916. Ole died at age 88 on September 10, 1974, and Nora died at age 84 on February 20, 1977.

Some of the Anderson family in 1928: from left to right - Otto Gutzman, Edith (Anderson) Gutzman, Nora (Wheeler) Anderson, Helen (Anderson) McCarn, Ole Anderson, and Leona (Sis) Anderson

Gene Anderson married Gertrude A. Tabbert in 1937 and they had two children: Jane M. (born February 14, 1940) and Conner E. (born April 25, 1944). They live in Alexandria and also own Francis (Anderson) Fenske’s cabin on Lake Miltona. Sis Anderson married William K. Wicken in 1945 and they had one son: Allen W. (born July 7, 1946). They were divorced in 1954. Sis likes to garden, raising flowers and taking care of her lawn, and is active in her church. She also visits