Geraldine O. “Gerry” Wheeler, 82, passed away early Sunday morning, September 13, 2009. Mrs. Wheeler served as a U.S. Army Cadet Nurse from 1945 to 1946. She attended Florida State College for Women (now Florida State University) and later worked for the U.S. Public Health Service. She was married Oct. 19, 1949, to Pete Wheeler, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Veterans Service, and lived most of her adult life in Atlanta. Mrs. Wheeler was preceded in death by her daughter, Jane Watkins. Survivors include her husband of 59 years, Pete Wheeler; daughter and son-in-law, Frances and Mark Jones of Atlanta; son and daughter-in-law, Peter B. “Chip” and Debbie Wheeler of Lawrenceville; son-in-law, John Watkins of Snellville; and six grandchildren, Matthew Wheeler, Joshua Watkins, Joanna Watkins, Alex Jones, Charles Jones, and Jonathan Jones. A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, September 16, at Decatur First United Methodist Church, with Bishop Bevel Jones, Dr. David Jones, and Dr. Claude Smithmier officiating. The committal service will be at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Georgia Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Milledgeville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Georgia War Veterans Home in Augusta or Milledgeville. The family will receive friends Tuesday afternoon from 4 to 8 p. m. at A. S. Turner & Sons.
