Florence D. Wheeler

Florence D. Wheeler passed away Wednesday, April 4. Funeral services will be Saturday, April 7 at 1:00 pm at Lutheran Church of the Cross, 1004 E. Highland Acres Rd. with Rev. Lisa Ahlness officiating. Visitation will be held from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm Friday, April 6, at Eastgate Funeral Service, 2302 E. Divide Ave., Bismarck. Visitation will continue one hour prior to the service at the church. Interment will take place at a later date at Carrington Cemetery. Florence (Fiske) Wheeler was born August 3, 1932, the daughter of Oscar and Anne (Thompson) Fiske at her parent’s home west of Colfax, ND. She attended schools in Colfax and four years of high school at Oak Grove Lutheran High School in Fargo, ND. She attended Concordia College in Moorhead, MN from 1950-51 and the Lutheran Bible Institute in Minneapolis, MN from 1951-1953. She worked at the Anne Carlsen Crippled Children’s School in Jamestown, ND, and then graduated with a cosmetology degree from the New York Hairdressing Academy in Fargo, ND. She managed a beauty shop in New Rockford in the late 1950’s. She was united in marriage to Arthur Wheeler November 29, 1959, in New Rockford, ND, by her brother, the Rev. Arland Fiske, who was pastor at New Rockford’s First Lutheran Church. Their marriage date was also the 25th wedding anniversary of Art’s parents, Ken & Gertrude Wheeler of Carrington. Florence and Art resided in Page, ND. They moved to Maddock, ND, Nov. 1, 1961, to assume ownership and operation of the Wheeler Funeral Home in Maddock & Esmond. Florence assisted with conducting funerals, and other facets of the funeral home operation. Florence contributed much to the Maddock community. She coordinated emergency communications for the ambulance, fire department, and local police for years. She was always willing to provide food and other items for local events and actively served at North Viking Lutheran Church in Maddock. The Wheeler’s moved to Bismarck in January 1980. Florence actively helped provide babysitting for her Bismarck grandchildren in their early years. She would accompany her husband to out-of-state conferences. After Art retired in 1998, the couple moved to Cohasset, MN, southwest of Grand Rapids, MN. Florence loved to sit by Pokegama Lake, go on pontoon rides, and listen to the loons calling. In May of 2010, they returned to Bismarck to make their home. They were blessed many years by spending winter months in the Mesa, AZ, area. Florence was active at Faith Lutheran Church and in the Lutheran Church of the Cross by cutting piece goods for Quilters at the church. She helped serve Wed. noon lunches for BHS students at First Lutheran when it was LCC’s turn to serve. She also participated in a Ladies LCC bible study for several years. She raised three children, managing their active calendar of events. She was a friend to many and an active loving supportive wife, sister, mother and grandmother. She strived to live for others as Jesus Christ had taught her. Florence is survived by her husband, Arthur; her daughter, Beth Ann (Francis) Greff, Bismarck; her two sons, Dana Arthur (Jean) Wheeler, Prior Lake, MN, and Kurt Willis (Janice) Elyea-Wheeler, Eden Prairie, MN; ten grandchildren, Alexander, Benjamin, Sarah, Emily and Zachary Greff, Andrew and Allissa Wheeler, Bryan, Nathan and Jason Elyea-Wheeler, and one great-grandchild, Benson Greff; and her brother, the Rev. Arland Fiske, Golden Valley, MN. She was preceded in death by her parents; a brother, Dennis; and a foster brother, David.