Paulline Long Wheelen May 12, 1916 – September 29, 2009
Pauline Long Wheelen, 93, passed through heaven’s gates at 2 p.m. Tuesday, September 29, 2009, at the Clearview Nursing Home in Mount Ayr, Iowa with family and friends gathered to say good-byes.
Born May 12, 1916 near Delphos, Iowa, she was the daughter of Charley Henry and Winnie Lee Thomas Long. She attended Hazel Glen Country School in Ringgold county. The Hazel Glen school building was relocated to a park in Ellston, Iowa and Pauline enjoyed a visit there several years ago. After graduation from Mount Ayr high school in 1935, Pauline taught in Ringgold county rural schools for five years. During that time she spent summers in Des Moines as a housekeeper and nanny for different families.
At the end of the fifth year of teaching, she was married to Harold Raymond Bell of Lamoni. To this union were born two sons, Roger Allen and Richard Lee. Pauline and Harold lived and farmed in Ringgold county for 10 years. After their divorce, Pauline and sons moved to Delphos, where she was the operator for the telephone company for eight years. They later moved to Mount Ayr where Pauline was employed at the Ben Franklin Dime Store.
In November of 1958 she was united in marriage to Emeral Jay Wheelen of Maloy. Emeral and Pauline’s song was ‘I Found a Million Dollar Baby at the Five and Dime.’ They lived and farmed near Maloy until his death in March 1972. Pauline continued on the farm and then moved to Mount Ayr in the fall of 1976, making her home at the Mount Ayr Manor. She moved to the Clearview Estates in February of 2001 and then to the Clearview Nursing home when her health failed.
Pauline was baptized at the Diagonal Methodist Church when she was 16 years old. She was a member of the Mount Ayr United Methodist Church at the time of her passing. Pauline enjoyed visiting with and about her family, reading, playing cards, sewing, embroidery and gardening and was a wonderful cook.
When she was able, she also enjoyed traveling and made many trips with her mother to visit her sister, Lucy, and with her sons to visit family members around the United States.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her two husbands; sister, Lucille Long Lee, and two brothers, Vern Henry Long and Ralph Ansel Long.
She is survived by her two sons and their wives, Roger and Jane Bell of Atlantic, Iowa and Richard and Cheryl Bell of rural Houghton, Iowa, and Emeral’s daughter and her husband, Jane and Roland Buck of Mount Ayr, Iowa. Pauline considered Jane to be her best friend in the whole wide world.
Also surviving are a sister-in-law, Harriet Long of Mount Ayr, Iowa and a longtime friend, and cousin by marriage, Lavon Thomas of Mount Ayr, Iowa; grandchildren and stepgrandchildren, Brett Bell of Colorado, Lisa (Larry) Holleran of Round Rock, Texas, Clint Bell of Atlantic, Iowa, John Bell of West Point, Iowa, Mark (Courtney) Bell of Paris, Missouri, Curtis (Denise) Braby of Morning Sun, Iowa, Cary (Debbie) Braby of Saint Joseph, Missouri, Carme (Todd) Lilienthal of Des Moines, Iowa, Craig (Kathi) Braby of Maloy, Iowa, Casey Braby of Texas and Camilla Braby of Des Moines, Iowa; two great-granddaughters, Zoe Brinkley of Texas and Sophia Bell of Omaha, Nebraska; five nieces; three nephews; 14 stepgreat-grandchildren, and many friends at the Clearview Nursing Home and Mount Ayr area.
The family is very grateful to the Hospice of Central Iowa, and to the Ringgold County Hospital and donations in Pauline’s memory may be made to either. Pauline’s family is also very appreciative of the loving care she received at Clearview Estates and Nursing Home and extends sympathy to the staff and residents as Pauline’s absence will be felt there, also.
Services were held at Watson-Armstrong Funeral Home in Mount Ayr on Tuesday, October 6, 2009, with Rev. Skip Rushing and Rev. Terry Roberts officiating. Musicians were Nancy Sackett, Mark Bell, Mary Davenport and Margaret Bickers.
Casket bearers were Pauline’s grandchildren, Craig Braby, Brett Bell, Cary Braby, Lisa Holleran, Clint Bell, Mark Bell, John Bell, Curt Braby, Carme Lilienthal, Casey Braby and Camilla Braby.
Pauline was laid at rest in the Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.
