Parents:

Charles Harder Wheeler 1793-1865

Hester DeFord 1810-1839

Death of John Wheeler
Former Fulton County Resident Dead at Wyoming

Word was received here Monday afternoon of the death of John Wheeler- a former Fulton County resident, who lived for a number of years on a farm south of Cuba- at the home of his son Charles, in Wyoming, Illinois, where he has been making his home.
Mr. Wheeler was about 73 years old and leaves his wife and eight children. His wifes maiden name was Margaret Harris. To them 10 children were born, two of whom are dead. The living are Joe and Charles of Wyoming, Ill., William of Cuba, Mrs. Carrie France of Bernadotte, Mrs. Ada Wilson of Plymouth, Mrs. Roy Payne of Marion, Iowa, Mrs. Stephen Payne of Gridley, Ill. and Mrs. Curtis Buffum of near Cuba.
At the outbreak of the civil war he enlisted in the fifty-fifth Illinois regiment and served through the war.
The body was brought to Cuba Tuesday from Wyoming for burial.
The funeral will be held at the Pleasant Grove Baptist Church Wednesday. The time of the funeral has not yet been set. Interment will be in the cemetery near the church.

Canton Daily Register; Tuesday, May 21, 1912 page 2.

Wyoming Post Herald
Wednesday May 22, 1912
From Time to Eternity
John P. Wheeler Dies in a Moment from Heart
Failure Early Monday Morning
Was Civil War Veteran
Sergeant in Company A., Fifty-Fifth Ill. Vol. Inft.
In War for the Union.

The community was startled Monday morning by the sudden death of John P. Wheeler, father of Charles W. and Joseph Wheeler of this city. Mr. Wheeler, for a man of his age, appeared to be in the best of health and W.H .Peard says that only a very few minutes before the sudden call came he was having a chat with Mr. Wheeler.
Coroner Impanels Jury
Coroner James Blaisdell of Bradford was at once notified of the death and came on the 8:30 train and at once empanelled the following jury: H.C. Cox, foreman; James Ditmon, W.H. Hoover, Rev. J. D. Kennedy, Rev, Wm. Moore and R.J. Teeter.
After viewing the body, which had been removed to Holgate's undertaking rooms, the jury repaired to H.C. Cox's real estate office and heard the following testimony.
William Humphrey said that his home was in Wyoming, that he was employed at Wheeler's bakery, and that the deceased roomed above the bakery. On Monday morning witness went to the bakery about four o'clock. Mr. Wheeler was already up and at work and appeared to be in unusually good spirits and health. Deceased had swept the floor and was busy cleaning ice cream cans at the back of the building. About seven o'clock while he, witness, was in the front of the room he heard a noise among the ice cream cans. On going to the spot to find out what it meant he saw that Mr. Wheeler had fallen and was apparently dead. He at once called Dr. McMackin by phone.
Doctor Ascribes Heart Failure Cause
Dr. McMackin testified that he at once responded to the call, that the body was still warm when he made examination but that life was extinct, death having been caused by heart failure. He also stated that there was an abrasion on the left side of deceased's neck caused by striking one of the cans in falling. The absence of hemorrhage indicated that death ensued before he fell.
The jury took but a moment or two to reach a verdict of death by heart failure as being in accord with the evidence given.
A peculiar and sad feature of the event was that both sons were out of town at the time the death occurred. Charles had left the night before for Springfield, and Joseph early in the morning had driven to Toulon. He was at once reached by phone and was back in time to attend the inquest.
Life Sketch of Mr. Wheeler
John Preston Wheeler was born in Fulton County, Illinois, August 5, 1838, and died in Wyoming, Ill., May 20, 1912 at the age of 73 years, 9 months and 15 days.
On Oct. 20, 1864, he was married to Margaret Harris, and to this union ten children were born of whom eight with their mother survive to mourn their great loss. The children who preceded their father in death were Mrs. Amanda Braden, who died about two years ago, and Emma who died in infancy. Those who remain are William L., and Mrs. Effie Buffum of Cuba, Ill., Mrs. Carrie France of Ipava, Ill., Joseph and Charles of this city, Mrs. Ada Wilson of Plymouth, Ill., Mrs. Lizzie Payne of Marion, Iowa, and Mrs. Rhoda Payne of Gridley, Ill.
For many years Mr. Wheeler was a member of the Baptist church, and by all who knew him he was respected for his quiet demeanor and upright life. For nearly three years he had assisted in the bakery business of his son Charles and it was while thus working he received and answered the sudden call of his Maker.
Mr. Wheeler was a veteran of the civil war and in last week's Post-Herald his military record was given and a brief sketch of the regiment, 55th. Ill. Vol. Inft., in which he served his country so loyally and fought so bravely during three years of that great struggle. Mr. Wheeler was looking forward to a near visit at Lewistown and Cuba and spoke frequently of again meeting some of his old comrades.
A brief service at the home of his son Charles on North Sixth street was held at 9:30 yesterday morning by the Rev. William Moore, and the remains, accompanied by his sons, William, Joseph and Charles, were taken on the 10:14 train for Cuba, Ill., where the funeral took place at 11 o'clock this morning, the service being held at the Baptist church. The bereaved family receive the condolences of all.

Transcribed by Linda Deakin Haynes