Jesse Ami Wheeler Jr.

Jesse is survived by his wife of 65 years, Audrey Jane Roberts Wheeler; brothers, John Wheeler of Beaumont, J.R. Wheeler of Vidor and Carl Wheeler of Edmond, Oklahoma; son and daughter-in-law, Jerry Tim and Bonnie Wheeler; grandsons, Todd, Keith, and Jesse Wheeler; great grandson, Jonas Wheeler and great granddaughters, Morgan, Jaden, and Sydney Wheeler.

Jesse was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana on March 1, 1925. He graduated from South Park High School in 1943. He was drafted right out of high school into the Navy. He served 29 months overseas aboard the heavy cruiser, the USS Pensacola CA 24. He was in seven major battles and received the Purple Heart for action at the Iwo Jima invasion.

After the war they married on June 15, 1946 at the First Baptist Church in Beaumont. Jesse was a graduate of Baylor University and received his Master of Education from the University of Houston. He was a high school and junior high school coach for 15 years and was the Vidor Elementary School Assistant Principal for two years. Jesse left the school business and joined Colonel Sanders as a franchisee and retired there after 20 years.

Jesse was a member of Calder Baptist Church in Beaumont and a member of the Men’s Bible Class there.

Visitation will be held Friday, May 20, 2011 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. at Forest Lawn Funeral Home. Funeral services will take place Saturday, May 21, 2011 at 2:00 p.m. in the Forest Lawn Funeral Home Chapel.