Obituary for Barbara J. Wheeler
Our beloved matriarch, Barbara J. Wheeler, Li Ken Yott (goes along the edge), was called into eternal paradise by our almighty and eternal God on Sunday, May 7, 2023.
Services for Barbara began with a dressing Tuesday, May 9, at Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston, and followed by a visitation at the family home on McCormack Ridge Road. Walasut Services took place with Andre Picard Jr. officiating. A Catholic service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center in Lapwai. Deacon Chris Davies will officiate the service.
Barbara was born Jan. 9, 1935, to Bill and Lucy (Hill) Johnson in Lapwai. The family moved to Webb built a home where the family is still residing today.
Barbara grew up in a time of transition when new western ways were being added to the tribal traditions and customs. At a young age she was blessed with a working family that had cattle, horses and grew gardens, fished, hunted and gathered traditional foods. She would tell stories of the food caches she would go in to help store and retrieve foods for the family.
Barbara attended Lapwai Schools in her years as a child and teens. She had many friends in the Lapwai area, many of those friends have passed on, but she often spoke of these friends and their families that continue to live in Lapwai and other areas.
She would also tell us many stories her cousins that were all considered brothers and sisters as is the Nimiipuu way. Those stories included dancing, teasing one another, hiking the countryside, swimming and fighting to name a few. She also helped her younger sisters and brothers when necessary as was customary in tribal families to do.
While growing up she was what would be considered an old soul as she cared and was considerate for all things around her. We today have and were fortunate to be able to experience this kindness and soul for many years. Many people in the community that she took into her home or were friends of her children knew her kindness and heart.
She married the love of her life, William L. Wheeler Sr., on March 25, 1952. They started their family in 1955 with the birth of their first son William L. Wheeler Jr. “Little Choc.”
Little Choc was the beginning of the rest of the family, which turned out to be 11 children in total. This large family was a very tight knit family. Barbara made sure that the family understood our roles and responsibilities to one another. She made sure each and every one of us felt equally loved, and we all thought she loved us the most, but come to find out she loved us all the same, which indeed was something special that she truly had unconditional love for her children.
Barbara was a part of the family business growing up, and then began her own business between her and Bill for many years which included cafe operations, smoke shops, fireworks and gambling games at pow wows throughout the northwest. They also had a smoke shop in the 1970s and continued smoke shops into the early 2000s before she retired. Wild Bills Fireworks was probably the business that they enjoyed the most, and the motto “The name says it all” being the reason. They traveled all around the Pacific Northwest meeting people and making new business acquaintances and developing partnerships throughout the Northwest.
Barbara lost the love of her life in 1993 in Reno, Nev. She never remarried after that and held him closely to her heart and memory and in spirit. After Bill‘s passing, Barbara in retirement enjoyed family more than ever she enjoyed all the grandkids. Her grandchildren brought her much joy in her life. Many times in her life she was part of five generations, grandmother, father, mother, son and grandson being the first. As she grew older, many of the grandchildren would come to see her upon entering the house, they would head directly to her room, where she would be in her chair, watching sports, as she was an avid sports fan. She loved Gonzaga Basketball, 49ers football and she truly loved watching golf, you could ask her about different players, and who’s gonna win this game, what are the stats? You could ask her about boxers that were going to fight and she would give you the rundown or the analysis of the match or game and generally she would be correct.
She was truly kindhearted and would have an open door for many people in the community from a young age until her passing. If she couldn’t physically or spiritually help you then she would say “I can pray for you!”
She is preceded in death by her mother and father; siblings Annabel, Isabell, Ernestine, Jasper, Dorothy, Clara, Fay, Bill Johnson Jr.; husband Bill Wheeler Sr.; children Ernestine Wheeler, Donna Lewis, Jon Wheeler, Barbara Pike. She is survived by her sister, Donna Peterson; her children, William Wheeler Jr. (Joyce), Oliver Wheeler (the late Julie Wheeler), Harlan Wheeler (Alicia), Shannon F. Wheeler, Dorothy Sherwood (Francis), Dominic M. Wheeler, Julia J. Wheeler, Billie Jo Taptoe (David), Arno Tulee. First born grandson David Louie Harrison, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.
Services for Barbara began with a dressing Tuesday, May 9, at Mountain View Funeral Home in Lewiston, and followed by a visitation at the family home on McCormack Ridge Road. Walasut Services took place with Andre Picard Jr. officiating. A Catholic service will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the Pi-Nee-Waus Community Center in Lapwai. Deacon Chris Davies will officiate the service.
Barbara was born Jan. 9, 1935, to Bill and Lucy (Hill) Johnson in Lapwai. The family moved to Webb built a home where the family is still residing today.
Barbara grew up in a time of transition when new western ways were being added to the tribal traditions and customs. At a young age she was blessed with a working family that had cattle, horses and grew gardens, fished, hunted and gathered traditional foods. She would tell stories of the food caches she would go in to help store and retrieve foods for the family.
Barbara attended Lapwai Schools in her years as a child and teens. She had many friends in the Lapwai area, many of those friends have passed on, but she often spoke of these friends and their families that continue to live in Lapwai and other areas.
She would also tell us many stories her cousins that were all considered brothers and sisters as is the Nimiipuu way. Those stories included dancing, teasing one another, hiking the countryside, swimming and fighting to name a few. She also helped her younger sisters and brothers when necessary as was customary in tribal families to do.
While growing up she was what would be considered an old soul as she cared and was considerate for all things around her. We today have and were fortunate to be able to experience this kindness and soul for many years. Many people in the community that she took into her home or were friends of her children knew her kindness and heart.
She married the love of her life, William L. Wheeler Sr., on March 25, 1952. They started their family in 1955 with the birth of their first son William L. Wheeler Jr. “Little Choc.”
Little Choc was the beginning of the rest of the family, which turned out to be 11 children in total. This large family was a very tight knit family. Barbara made sure that the family understood our roles and responsibilities to one another. She made sure each and every one of us felt equally loved, and we all thought she loved us the most, but come to find out she loved us all the same, which indeed was something special that she truly had unconditional love for her children.
Barbara was a part of the family business growing up, and then began her own business between her and Bill for many years which included cafe operations, smoke shops, fireworks and gambling games at pow wows throughout the northwest. They also had a smoke shop in the 1970s and continued smoke shops into the early 2000s before she retired. Wild Bills Fireworks was probably the business that they enjoyed the most, and the motto “The name says it all” being the reason. They traveled all around the Pacific Northwest meeting people and making new business acquaintances and developing partnerships throughout the Northwest.
Barbara lost the love of her life in 1993 in Reno, Nev. She never remarried after that and held him closely to her heart and memory and in spirit. After Bill‘s passing, Barbara in retirement enjoyed family more than ever she enjoyed all the grandkids. Her grandchildren brought her much joy in her life. Many times in her life she was part of five generations, grandmother, father, mother, son and grandson being the first. As she grew older, many of the grandchildren would come to see her upon entering the house, they would head directly to her room, where she would be in her chair, watching sports, as she was an avid sports fan. She loved Gonzaga Basketball, 49ers football and she truly loved watching golf, you could ask her about different players, and who’s gonna win this game, what are the stats? You could ask her about boxers that were going to fight and she would give you the rundown or the analysis of the match or game and generally she would be correct.
She was truly kindhearted and would have an open door for many people in the community from a young age until her passing. If she couldn’t physically or spiritually help you then she would say “I can pray for you!”
She is preceded in death by her mother and father; siblings Annabel, Isabell, Ernestine, Jasper, Dorothy, Clara, Fay, Bill Johnson Jr.; husband Bill Wheeler Sr.; children Ernestine Wheeler, Donna Lewis, Jon Wheeler, Barbara Pike. She is survived by her sister, Donna Peterson; her children, William Wheeler Jr. (Joyce), Oliver Wheeler (the late Julie Wheeler), Harlan Wheeler (Alicia), Shannon F. Wheeler, Dorothy Sherwood (Francis), Dominic M. Wheeler, Julia J. Wheeler, Billie Jo Taptoe (David), Arno Tulee. First born grandson David Louie Harrison, and numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.