R.B. Wheeler, age 95, longtime Lemmon businessman, passed away on Thursday January 5, 2012 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger.


The Funeral Service will be held at 1:00 pm MT on Thursday, January 12, 2012 at Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon with Pastor Florence Hoff, officiating. Burial will be in Greenhill Cemetery with full military honors afforded by the Brattvet-Green American Legion Post #66 of Lemmon.


A family service will be held at 11:00am on Thursday morning at the church in Lemmon.


Special music will be provided by Marilyn Willey and Tony Waller.


Serving as casketbearers are Jeff Sackmann, Brian Scoular, Ken Wilson, Jeff Haase, Brett Odenbach, Harlan Hess.


A memorial has been established to the Lemmon Food Pantry.


Robert Bruce (R.B.) Wheeler was born November 6, 1916 to Edward Willis Wheeler and Mary (Kopan) Wheeler on the Wheeler farm in Lemert, ND (12 miles northwest of Carrington, ND). R.B. was raised in Lemert and graduated from Carrington High School in 1935.


After high school, R.B. was employed by the Gamble Company in Dickinson, ND and then Lemmon, SD. During his time in Lemmon, R.B. met Frances Mae Surring of Lemmon, SD. Fran and R.B. were united in marriage September 15, 1939 in Lemmon. This union lasted for 72 years. The couple then moved to Minneapolis where R.B. continued his employment with the Gamble Co.


In 1942 R.B. joined the U.S. Army and served in World War II while stationed in New Guinea and the Philippines. He received a Bronze Star for his service as a Warrant Officer.


After the war, R.B. was unsettled with the congestion of life in Minneapolis and the "clatter" of street cars. Fran and R.B. took their savings and purchased, from R.M. Horr, on April 1, 1946 the jewelry manufacturing company that would become Wheeler Mfg. Co. Inc. The "shop," as the company was known to the family, was a dominant part of R.B.'s life.


To this union were born two sons: Rob Lance and Bradford James. R.B. was very involved in his son's lives. He spent countless hours working with Boy Scout Troop 48 when Rob and Brad were in Boy Scouts. He also enjoyed watching his sons participate in high school sports. R.B. and Fran spent many years enjoying their cabin at Shadehill Lake with the family and friends.


Rob and Brad joined the family business in 1978 and worked alongside R.B. and Fran until they both retired in August 2001.


R.B. held many public service positions in the Lemmon area including Fire Chief, Mayor, Perkins County Commissioner, Lemmon School Board Member, and was on the Street Committee when Lemmon obtained "paved" streets for the first time. R.B. loved the Lemmon community and was always interested in economic development projects of any kind. He was also very involved in the establishment of the Lemmon Area Medical Association. R.B. was inducted into the South Dakota Hall of Fame in 1995. R.B. also enjoyed many philanthropic interests that supported the Lemmon area.


R.B. was well known for his love of trees and gardening. For many years he shared his abundant garden produce with the cooks at the Lemmon nursing home. He enjoyed spending time with the employees at Wheeler Mfg. Many employees have "their" story to share about R.B.


R.B. was a faithful member of Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church where he served in many capacities. His most fond memory was serving on the building committee when the current church building was constructed.


R.B. went to Heaven on January 5, 2012 while in the Hettinger Hospital after a sudden onset of pneumonia.

He is survived by two sons, Rob (Colette) Wheeler of Lemmon, SD and Brad (Deborah) Wheeler of Lemmon, SD; five grandchildren, Jacey (Mitch) Messer, Rapid City, SD, Julia Wheeler, Rochester, MN, Lyndsey Wheeler, Lemmon, SD, Lucas Wheeler, Norfolk, NE, William Jeffrey Wheeler, Seattle, WA; two great grandchildren, Morgen Frances Messer and Mayve Julianne Messer; nieces and nephew: Shelley (Manny) Carreiro, North Haven, CT, Zanna (Bill) Tilson, Kennett Square, PA, Heather (Tony) Smith, St. Louis Park, MN, Linda McCrea, Asheville, NC, Arthur 'Bill' (Florence) Wheeler, Bismarck, ND.


R.B. was preceded in death by his parents, Edward and Mary Wheeler, his wife, Fran Wheeler on December 4, 2011, his sister, Jean McCrea, and two older brothers Kenneth and Keith Wheeler.


Visitation will be on Wednesday from 1:00 to 9:00pm at the Evanson-Jensen Funeral Home in Lemmon, and on Thursday one hour prior to services at Spencer Memorial Presbyterian Church in Lemmon.