Obituary information for Galatia and Mary's daughter Theodosa posted on ancestry.com by user Diane Heim:
obit of Belle T WheelerTheodosa Belle Gordon was adopted by her stepfather, Mr. Giles, and went by that name in Ashland Twp., Newaygo County.BY HER DAUGHTER, MAUDE WHEELERBorn in Michigan City, Indiana, April 8, 1863, she was named Theodosia Belle, but, preferred to sign her name Belle T. Her father, Galicia Gordon, did not return promptly from serving in the Civil War, and, when Belle was three years old, her mother, Mary Ann Kope Gordon, came to Michigan to visit her oldest brother, Andrew Kope, at Fremont. She brought Belle with her, but left her older daughter, Hattie, with relatives in Indiana. Her mother then married a Mr. Giles who adopted Belle and they lived at Ashland Center.Belle married Fred L. Wheeler at Ashland Center on March 25, 1880. She bore many children and was a very lovely person. Belle and Fred Wheeler spent their lives on their farm in North Ashland. It was a place of peace, quietness, cooperation, love, concern, joy, fun, hard work and happiness. They were a close, self-sufficient family and never remember any harsh words. The children were never forced to mind. They were asked and that was it. A "I guess you better not," or "I don't believe I would," meant that it was not a good thing to do and since it was their opinion the children heeded it.Belle died June 5, 1947, at the age of 84. Resting place at Ashland Center Cemetery, Grant, Michigan.BY HER GRANDDAUGHTER BERNIECE SEAMAN HANSEN: My Grandmother Belle Wheeler was a very sweet person. She had a nice laugh and soft, kind ways. Only one daughter, Eva, was at all like her.When we use to stop by when we were at "the other place," she seemed always to be baking bread or looking over white beans to cook for Gerald. She was always busy.Going to her house for Christmas was the highlight of the winter. We would go by sleigh and put in hot flat irons to keep our feet warm and have a wonderful dinner. I would have such fun playing with all my cousins.Grandma was very slim and quite tall, although she always seemed small to me. I never knew her to say or do an unkind thing. She was a fine person.*********************************************NEWSPAPER - MRS. WHEELER, 84, ASHLAND, DIES; WAS PIONEERGrant, June 5 - (Special) - Mrs. Belle T. Wheeler, 84 years old, former resident of Muskegon and pioneer resident of Ashland township, died Wednesday evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John Linkens, of Ashland, following a long illness.Born in Angola, Ind., on April 8, 1963, she moved to Muskegon with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. William Giles, in 1871. They moved to Ashland in 1871 and she was married to Fred Wheeler on March 25, 1880. They cleared the land, built a house and barn and burned the extra logs. The Wheeler farm is about one mile from the Muskegon river and Mrs. Wheeler would ake her small children several times a week to catch fish for the family dinner. She often recalled how the Indians would make baskets for her and others in the area.Mrs. Wheeler, who leaves 78 lineal descendants, lived on the same farm 67 years. She had been at the home of her daughter for the past several weeks.Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler observed their 50th wedding anniversary in 1930. The Rev. Frederick Pinch, who officiated at the golden wedding anniversary, also officiated at the weddings of their four daughers and the funeral of Mr. Wheeler, who died on Nov. 3, 1933.The Rev. Pinch will conduct the funeral rites for Mrs. Wheeler at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Ashland Center Baptist Church. The body will lie in state at the Linkens home from Friday to Sunday noon, when it will be taken to lie in state at the church for one hour preceding the rites.She leaves five daughters Mrs. Linkens, Mrs. Martin Seaman and Mrs. Sam Wildfong, all of Grant, Mrs. Floyd Crandell, Newaygo, and Maude Wheeler, a teacher, at Adrian; three sons, Fred, Sand Lake, Jerald and Rolland, both of Grant, one brother, Albert Jordon (Gorden), Allegan; one sister, Mrs. Clarence Valentine, Michigan City, Ind.; 25 grandchildren, 40 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.NOTE: (Mrs. Clarence Valentine - Aunt Daisy who came up to visit.)------------------------------------------------------Obit: (Muskegon Chronicle or Grand Rapids Press ?)BELLE T. WHEELERGrant - Funeral services for Mrs. Belle T. Wheeler, 84, of Ashland Township, will be held Sunday at 2 p.m. from the Ashland Center Baptist Church with burial in Ashland Center Cemetery.Mrs. Wheeler died Wednesday night at the home of her daughter, Mrs. John (Mary) Linkens. She was born April 8, 1863 in Angola, Ind., and was married to Fred Wheeler March 25, 1880. Surviving are five daughters and three sons; a brother and a sister, 25 grandchildren and 40 great-grandchildren.
