Wanda Nell (Eoff) Wheeler, age 90, passed away Monday, July 8, 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer. Her services will be Tuesday, July 16, 2024 at 2:00 pm at Heartland Funeral Home in Early, Texas. Visitation will be held Monday, July 15, 2024 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at the funeral home. She will be laid to rest beside her husband of almost 54 years at Pleasant Valley Cemetery near the Owens community.
Wanda was born in Blanket, Texas to Joseph Montgomery Eoff and Etta Pearline Goates Eoff on September 10, 1933, the youngest daughter, the 6th of 7 children. She grew up in Blanket on the family farm during an era when their home, like many rural households of that time, did not have the luxury of running water or indoor plumbing – they didn’t even have an outhouse. She vividly recalled hauling water from the stock tank and straining out the bugs before drinking.
She attended school at Blanket along with her siblings, cousins and lifelong friends, graduating in 1951.
Wanda’s cousin, Doris Eoff Wheeler, introduced her to Frenchie Wheeler, nephew of Doris’ husband, DeVerne. They were married December 19, 1952 and settled in the Owens community. They were blessed with three daughters, Karen, Teresa and Rhonda. In the early years of their marriage, they also lived for a short time in Odessa and San Antonio. When Karen was 6 months old, they moved to California, where Teresa and Rhonda were born. Rhonda was 11 months old when they returned to Texas, raising their family in Brownwood.
Wanda had her hands full raising three children, with Rhonda and Terrie having been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at ages 2 ½ and 5 respectively. She was very diligent in taking care of their special dietary and medical needs as well as running the household, tending to the sizeable family gardens, and canning and freezing large quantities of vegetables and fruit they grew and harvested.
Wanda was an accomplished seamstress, sewing dresses (sometimes matching) and other articles of clothing for herself and the three girls, as well as Western shirts for Frenchie. The girls own several cherished embroidered and items hand-made by their Mama over the years.
In 1972, Frenchie and Wanda purchased a farm in Owens where they raised delicious tomatoes, bushels of green beans, sweet watermelons, and just about anything else you could imagine. They also raised and harvested peanuts for several years so they were always farming. As grandchildren came along, they all loved visits to and have wonderful memories of time spent with Grandma and Grandpa on the farm.
A few years after Frenchie’s death in 2006, Wanda was invited to live with Rhonda and her husband, FJ (now deceased) in Brownwood, where she lived until her death.
Wanda was a faithful, long-time member of Vine Street church of Christ. Even after her cancer diagnosis, she rarely missed Sunday morning church services until the last few weeks when she finally was no longer physically able to attend. She was a great inspiration to us all.
Wanda is survived by her daughters, Karen (Friou) Allen of Brownwood and Rhonda Malicoat of Brownwood, five grandchildren, JC (Mary) Pruett of Brownwood, Shannon (Jared) Underwood of Early, Laura (Michael Sahd) Pruett of Early, Amy Teague of Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin and Matt (Sierra) Lindsey of Bangs. She also is survived by 11 great-grandchildren, 1 great-great grandson, sister-in-law, Dorothy Eoff of Stephenville, former son-in-law James Pruett of Early, as well as several cousins, nieces, nephews, friends and her church family.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Joe & Etta Eoff, husband Frenchie Wheeler, daughter Teresa (Terrie) Pruett Gilchrist, her siblings Elva Carver, Alma Pearl Eoff, Dorothy Pinson, Herman Joe Eoff, James Eoff, and David Eoff.
Special thank you to our Vine Street church of Christ family and the Solaris team for their loving care of Wanda and the family.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Cherokee Children’s Home, P.O. Box 295
Cherokee, TX 76832, Vine Street Church of Christ, 404 N Fisk, Brownwood TX 76801, or your favorite charity.