Mike Wheelan

Mike Wheelan, age 89, of Washington, Iowa, died Saturday, July 11, 2015, at his residence surrounded by his family. A Funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 15, 2015, at St. James Catholic Church with Fr. Bernie Weir officiating. Visitation will begin noon Tuesday at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home in Washington where the family will receive friends from 5:00 until 7:00 Tuesday evening. Prayer services will be held 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Jones & Eden Funeral Home. Interment will take place at the Elm Grove Cemetery in Washington, Iowa. Memorials have been established for Washington County Hospice or the American Cancer Society. Online condolences may be sent for Mike’s family through the web at www.jonesfh.com. Paul Raymond “Mike” Wheelan was born May 3, 1926, in Washington County, Iowa, the son of John Henry and Martha Veronica (Swift) Wheelan. He attended school in Washington, Iowa, and graduated from Washington High School in 1944. He served honorably in the United States Navy during World War II. Mike was united in marriage to Donna Lea Wylie on September 8, 1950, in Washington, Iowa. Mike’s military service was a U.S. Navy gunner’s mate aboard the Merchant Marine ships USS John Rutledge and USS Wharton during World War II. He and his daughter, Holly, took part in the 2012 Honor Flight to Washington D.C. Mike farmed all of his life north of Washington. Nobody enjoyed his occupation more than Mike, who incorporated a lot of joy into the hard work of farming – raising peacocks and fallow deer and intentionally planting a strip of crooked rows of corn directly opposite his neighbor’s picture window. He was inquisitive about new farming methods and witnessed the evolution of change in agriculture, from working alongside his father on horse-drawn equipment in the 1930’s to lending a hand to his son-in-law who farms with GPS guided implements. His favorite hobby was working, and he loved trees and watching his plantings grow. A special source of pleasure for Mike was the building and maintenance of his miniature farm scene near the Wheelan home, which is listed on Google Earth as “a small Iowa farm”. He was a member of St. James Catholic Church and volunteered for 16 years at the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in Iowa City, Iowa. Mike and Donna loved to take a spin around the block in their 1926 Model T Ford, and he was pleased to include it in many local parades and celebrations. Mike was a master story-teller, probably at least partly due to his Irish heritage but also due to his ability to quietly observe human nature. He saw the humor in everyday life and appreciated a joke on himself. He placed a high value on family, cared deeply for his wife, children and grandchildren, and sparked mutual affection across the branches of his extended family. Mike is survived by his wife, Donna Wheelan of Washington, Iowa; daughter, Mickey Falkner and husband Lynn of Erda, Utah; son, Dan Wheelan of Washington, Iowa; son, Tom Wheelan of Washington, Iowa; daughter, Holly Ostertag and husband Derrick of Inver Grove Heights, Minnesota; daughter, Teri Hartzler and husband Drew of Washington, Iowa; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren; sister, Roberta Clark of Urbana, Illinois; and sister-in-law, Maxine Wheelan of Midwest City, Oklahoma. He was preceded in death by his parents; sister, Esther Blaine; and brother, Don Wheelan.

Mike Wheelan

May 3, 1926 - July 11, 2015