Clara Belle Wheeler

(nee Carter) went peacefully into eternity on Friday, January 24, 2014, at Royal Oaks Health Care Center in Sun City, AZ.

Born Clara Belle Carter on February 10, 1917, to Margaret (Duncan) Carter and Charles Carter in Henryetta, OK. As a very young child, Clara traveled the mid western states with her Father in a carnival doing acrobatic dances in sideshows, until she was orphaned in La Cyne, KS at the age of 8. She was made a ward of the state. She was later fostered by Howard Glenn and Margaret Doty of Mound City, Kansas. Clara lived with the Doty’s in Mound City, KS and Tulsa, OK until she was married in 1937 to her high school sweetheart, Mabry E. “Duke” Wheeler. They had two sons, Glenn E. Wheeler and Eugene C. “Duke” Wheeler. Clara and Mabry divorced in 1945. Clara continued on with exclusive care of her two sons as a single mother. She retreated to Houston, TX where she found full time work to support them.

Clara didn’t know she had an older brother. He was adopted as a toddler by a family who lived in St. Louis, MO. When Clara was 30 years old, she received a phone call from her brother, who identified himself as Harold G. Hofmann, of St. Louis, MO. He said, “I’ve been looking for you for 13 years!” She always thought she had a brother, but was told she was wrong. Clara and Harold continued contact over several years. In 1958, Harold, who was now raising his daughter and youngest son on his own, called Clara and asked if she would join him to live as a family. Clara accepted her brother’s offer to “Lay the world at her feet” and they began their new journey together when she moved to St. Louis, MO. There she worked at Deaconess Hospital and also trained to be a Merrell Norman Cosmetics Consultant. After successfully raising her boys and then Harold’s children, as their surrogate mother, she and Harold moved to Sun City, AZ in 1973, to begin the next phase of their lives together.

Clara became a Sun City socialite and worked as a receptionist on a new home development site and also worked at women’s clothing stores for many years. She decided to branch out on her own and start a life-long dream of owning and operating a women’s consignment clothing store. In 1985, she opened “Clara’s Neat Repeat” and became a local celebrity. If it had style and sparkled, it had to have come from “Clara’s Neat Repeat”! She successfully clothed many of Sun City’s most savvy shoppers and became a legacy in her own right. Clara sold her beautiful shop in 1995, but her name lived on as it continued to operate under new ownership in Peoria, just one block from its original location.

Clara and Harold moved from their home on Lakeforest in Sun City, to Royal Oak Life Care Center in 1999. They were members of Faith Presbyterian Church when the vision of Royal Oak was presented to the congregation by their Minister, Davis Illingsworth. This vision became a success, and they both lived out the remainder of their lives in what is considered ”The best of the best in Life Care Center facilities” across the country.

All who had the privilege and pleasure of knowing or meeting Clara have a common impression of her. She was an amazingly glamorous woman of great class and graciousness. She loved beautiful clothes, fabulous custom jewelry, being a lady, the colors pink and red, big band music, dancing, roses, French provincial décor, elegance, cruises, comfort foods, coffee, her brother, her children, her grandchildren, her great-grandchildren, and felines!

She is preceded in death by her parents, Margaret Edger and Charles Carter, her foster parents, Harry and Margaret Doty, her beloved brother, Harold G. Hofmann (2001), her oldest son, Glenn E. Wheeler (1982), and her granddaughter, Debra L. Wheeler-Thurber-Walsh (2013).

Clara is survived by her beloved niece (surrogate daughter), Diane (Hofmann) Andreski (Russell Mills) of Brentwood, CA.; beloved son, Eugene C. “Duke” Wheeler (Melva) of Sacramento, CA, beloved nephew (surrogate son),Harold George Hofmann, Jr. (Trudy) of Lincoln, NE; four grandchildren, Christa A. Nolfo (Dan) of O’Fallon, MO; Glenda D. Wheeler (Jim Koen) of St. Peters, MO; Sheila D. Wheeler of Tucson, AZ; and Mike Wheeler (Karen) of La Mesa , CA; 10 great-grandchildren, Christopher Wheeler, Jennifer Warren, Maddison Nolfo, Brooke Thurber, Casey Thurber, Kealy Nolfo, Glenn Walsh, Austin Wheeler, and Brandon Wheeler ; two great-great grandchildren, Christopher Wheeler, Robert Warren ; daughter- in- law, Norma D. Wheeler of Tucson, AZ; three dear great-nieces, ; Laura Henning (Todd) of Moorseville, IN, Vickie Devincenzi (Dean) of San Jose, CA, Kelly Sharkey (Mike) of Seminole, FL, and four great, great-nieces, Amber, Breann, Torie, Allie and two great, great-nephew , Timothy and Luke.

Per Clara’s wishes, she will be cremated and no formal services will be held. Her ashes will be scattered at Sunland Memorial Gardens and placarded by her brother’s nameplate. A private “Celebration of Life” gathering will be held on January 30, 2014, for family and close friends in Sun City, AZ, at the home of her beloved niece, Diane Andreski.

The family would like to express their gratitude to the caring and angelic staff of Royal Oak Life Care and Health Care Center as well as Highway Christian Hospice of Phoenix, AZ, for their special care and attention over the many years that Clara and Harold resided at Royal Oaks. Memorial contributions can be made to Highway Christian Hospice, 67 E. Weldon Ave., Ste. 31, Phoenix, AZ 85012-2045.