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(b) = born    (d) = died    ( f ) = father    (m) = mother    (w) wed     

f. Jason Wheeler
m. Christena Schlief
 

George Wheeler was 12 year old when his family moved from Auburn Township, Fond du Lac County, Wisconsin, to Concord Township, Dodge County, Minnesota.

In 1878 at the age of 23, George married Mary Moreland, who was 17, in Wasioja, Minnesota. The same year they bought the farm north of the Concord Church of Christ just outside the city limits of Concord, Minnesota.  George Wheeler was church custodian for many years.

In 1893, the entire George Wheeler family contracted diphtheria, when both Elmer and Geneva died.  Mabel recalled they were all very sick, and the doctor did not think William ("Willie") would make it as well.  Mary had been at one of the neighbors helping to care for them, as they were sick with diphtheria as well, and brought the disease home with her.  Willie did survive the ordeal, but had to learn to walk again and showed affects of the disease the rest of his life.  Lyle said that Willie as also "gassed" during WWI, which also had affects on his health in later years.

Besides farming, George and his son’s, William and Lyle, hauled limestone for the foundation of many businesses and homes in the newly developing town of West concord from the quarry southwest of the Concord Church along the river.  George also sold stone to Concord Township for bridges and road culverts. He sold and installed the limestone sidewalks in the village of Concord and West Concord.  Lyle Wheeler frequently told about drilling holes with a star drill and hammer to break the limestone out of the wall of rock when he was a young boy. 

Lyle also told about he and his father walking on the street by the bank in West Concord when they met Mr. Babcock, who was carrying a chain he had previously borrowed from George.  George told Mr. Babcock that when he was finished with chain, he would like to have it back.  At that point Mr. Babcock gave the chain back by throwing it and hitting George on the back of the head.  The force of the blow knocked George down.  He had to be helped up but said “We got the chain back.”

Lyle also told about a cold, windy January day when his dad wanted Willie and Lyle to help shred corn stalks.  The boys told their dad it was too cold to work outside.  About that time, a neighbor, Raymond Kirkland, came to oil and grease the windmill.  With Mr. Kirkland on the windmill, dad said, “If he can work on the windmill in the cold and wind, we can shred corn.”  Soon after that, they looked up to see Mr. Kirkland blown off the windmill into a snowdrift.  George decided it was too cold and windy to shred corn.

Thelma Pirkle tells about a church picnic that was held below the Concord Church by the river.  She saw George and Mr. Benjamin walking along the river talking.  All of a sudden George pushed Mr. Benjamin into the river.   She tells that Mr. Benjamin came up out of the river madder than a “wet hen.”  They “danced around the gooseberry bushes” for about a half an hour arguing until Mr. Benjamin cooled off.  

Haven and Dorothy Wheeler Martin, grandchildren of George, tell about George having mints in his vest pocket.  The vest would hang in the back entryway where they would look for the mints or crawl in his lap to get mints. 

Blanche Able Miller Mason, cousin of Haven and Dorothy, worked in the Concord Store.  She told how George would come to the store at night and gossip with the other men of the community.

Irma Hindal tells about the time her and her mother, Eva Boomgard, being at the Concord Store at the time of Haven’s birth.  George came into the store and responded to Eva’s question regarding if Lyle and Vera had their new baby yet.  George responded, “Yes, a boy and they named him Timothy Timsley” and left.  Her mother and Irma went around the Concord community telling everyone that Lyle and Vera’s new baby boy, was named Timothy Timsley.  A few days later they went to visit the Wheeler’s to see the new baby.  Eva went over to the baby and said, “What a beautiful baby, and Timothy is such a nice name.”  Mary, George’s wife, responded,  “His name is not Timothy but Haven.”  Eva’s response was, “Why that damn old fool, George.”

George and his wife Mary are buried in the Concord Cemetery in Concord, Dodge County, Minnesota.