The WHEELEN family moved to the Maloy community in 1940. They rented the WOODSIDE 240 acre farm one and one half miles northwest of Maloy. Their family consisted of Grace WHEELEN (1884-1973), her two sons, Emeral and Earl, and a daughter, Maxine, and granddaughter, Jane, daughter of Emeral WHEELEN.

The WHEELENS rented the Thomas S. SHAY, Sr. estate farm in 1942. While living on the SHAY farm, Maxine WHEELEN married LaVerne WORTHINGTON. The WHEELEN brothers later purchased part of the SHAY farm and the WOODSIDE farm.

Though farming was Emeral's first love, he was skilled as a mechanic and rebuilt wrecked cars as a hobby. That hobby prompted his brother, Earl WHEELEN, to furnish trophies and organize the car show in his memory at the Maloy Centennial celebration.

Earl WHEELEN was elected to the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors in 1964 and he remained in office until he retired in 1980. Emeral WHEELEN served 20 years as an elected school board official, first on the Maloy Consolidated School board and then later, after reorganization, on the Mount Ayr Community school bord.

Emeral moved to Liberty Township in Ringgold County when the town of Maloy was 50 years old. There he married Florence HERBERT. To this union a daughter Jane was born. Emeral's first wife died of complications of childbirth when the infant was just a few days old.

Jane WHEELEN married C. L. "Chuck" BRABY December 25, 1957.

Pauline BELL and Emeral J. WHEELEN were united in marriage November 30, 1958 a the Methodist Church in Mount Ayr. They lived in Maloy for about six months until their home one and one half miles west of Maloy was ready for occupancy. Richard BELL, Pauline's youngest son, lived with them three years until he graduated from high school. Roger BELL, her oldest son, was in college and the service.

Jane WHEELEN BRABY, Emeral's daughter, and her husband, C. L. BRABY, helped operate the farms. Emeral was employed by International Havester in Mount Ayr part time. He was also subsitute mail carrier for Pat CARR, working out of Maloy and Blockton.

After nine and one half years at his farm residence, Emeral suffered a severe heart attack in April 1968. This disabled him for two years. During this time of recovery, he spent many healing hours doing wood carving and wood art.

Emeral sold seed corn, and then worked as a salesman for John Deere for two years before his fatal heart attack in March 1972. Pauline lived at the farm for five years before she moved to Mount Ayr where she now [1987] resides.

The WHEELEN family hisotry concludes with the one who brought these descendents into the world, their beloved mother, Grace HARSH WHEELEN. She was married April 1, 1908 in her parent's home in Jackson Township in Taylor County to Chester A. WHEELEN of Dunlap. After three years of farming near Earling, they bough a farm two miles northwest of Platteville, Iowa in Gay Township of Taylor County so she could be near her aging parents.

Grace was widowed during the depression, but thanks to her conservative, hardy, Southern Baptist stock from Ohio, andher strong Methodist faith, she could handle most obstacles. Grace acquired many new friends in the Maloy community, which she loved, and still could relate to relatives and old friends near Bedford. Grace lived a long and useful life, and died a rich woman, not in a monetary sense, but wealthy in friends, relatives, integrity and moral fiber.

NOTES: Chester Arthur WHEELEN, son of William and Lujanna WHEELEN, was born near Earling, Iowa on July 22, 1884, and died at the age of 53 years on July 15, 1938. He married Grace E. HARSH on April 1, 1908. Grace Estella (HARSH) WHEELEN, the daughter of Elijah Keasey and Mary Ellen (SKINNER) HARSH, was born near Siam, Iowa, on March 7, 1884, and died at age 88 years on February 22, 1973. Grace and Chester were interred at Platteville Cemetery, Platteville, Taylor County, Iowa. Two sons, Floyd and William, died in infancy.

Emeral Jay WHEELEN was born near Bedford, Iowa on March 9, 1912, and died at the age of 60 years on March 10, 1972, Mount Ayr, Iowa. Emeral married first Florence Lee HERBERT on May 7, 1937. He married second Pauline (LONG) BELL November 30, 1958.

Florence Lee (HERBERT) WHEELEN, daughter of Walter R. and Isabell HERBERT, was born near Bedford, Iowa on August 9, 1917, and died at the age of 21 years on December 7, 1938.

Paulin Estella (LONG) BELL WHEELEN, the daughter of Charley Henry and Winnie Lee (THOMAS) LONG, was born near Delphos on May 12, 1916. She married Harold Raymond BELL; they later divorced. Pauline and Emeral Jay WHEELEN were married in November of 1958. Pauline died at the age of 93 years on September 29, 2009, Mount Ayr.

Emeral, Florence and Pauline were interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Mount Ayr.

Earl K. WHEELEN was born on August 26, 1910, and died December 21, 1987.

Elizabeth "Jane" WHEELEN and C. L. "Chuck" BRABY were married December 20, 1956.

SOURCE: Maloy, Iowa Centennial History: 1887 - 1987 Pp. 197-98.

Courtesy of Mount Ayr Public Library

Transcription and Notes by Sharon R. Becker, August of 2011