Betty Jean Wheeler dearly loved wife, mother, grandmother, sister, and friend passed away at her home in Dawsonville in the presence of her family on April 20th, 2022, at the age of 71 years old. She was born December 12th, 1950, in Tate, Georgia to Georgia Azzie-Lee Mealer Worley and George Worley.
Betty is survived by her loving husband of almost 45 years, Gary Wheeler and her beloved children Sheila and Cory Stansell and Chris Ward. She was loved and adored by her grandchildren; Georgia & Josh Holley, Ella Grace Stansell, Callie Jean Stansell and Great Grandchildren Noah and Hopelynn Holley. She is also survived by her sister Dorothy West as well as many loved nieces and nephews. She is joined in heaven with her mother and father as well as her precious sister Geneva Worley, several half siblings, great granddaughter Natalie Holley, previous husband Bobby Ward and many other loved ones she has dearly missed.
In 1966, in Betty’s younger years, she met her first husband, Bobby Ward and was married to him in 1967. Soon after getting married, she became a mother to her daughter, Sheila, at the age of 16 years old. She later became a mother again in the Fall of 1973 to her son, Chris. While juggling being a young mother and wife, she also worked at Karen SportsWear where she met some of her lifetime friends. By 1975 she and Bobby had separated.
Later, in 1975 Betty went out with a dear friend for a night out at the Moose Lodge in Cumming, Georgia and as fate would have it, met her would-be husband Gary Wheeler of Cumming, Georgia. She was married to him two years later in 1977 and they moved to Cumming together.
By 1977 Betty had been introduced to chiropractic care and went to school to obtain her certificate to begin her career as a chiropractor’s assistant. She was a chiropractic assistant to Dr. Silas Brown, Dr. Phillips, Dr. Paul Chandler, and Dr. Clayton Williams. By 1992 Betty had to retire from chiropractic to care for her handicapped sister Geneva Worley after the passing of their mother, which she selflessly did until her sister's passing in 2005.
In 2006 Betty and Gary moved to Lawrenceville, Georgia where they lived until 2019 after her husband’s retirement from L.B Foster. During these years she sadly battled many sicknesses, infections, and ailments but even through her pain she was always loving and kind to the ones she held close and always held out hope of better days and clung to her love of the Lord. In Fall of 2019 her and her husband moved to Dawsonville to be closer to their children and grandchildren, where she lived until she passed away.
Betty’s greatest achievement in life was being a loving, caring and supportive wife, mother, grandmother, friend, and matriarch of her family. She had a listening ear and loving and warm presence and kind heart. She was a sweet, strong minded, beautiful Christian woman that gave the best hugs and back scratches and had a pure and genuine love for her friends, family and God that transcended any earthly achievements she ever could have had. Her love for gospel music, teacups, fancy hats, jewelry and murder mystery shows will be memories that her kids and grandchildren will always hold close. In her last days she was able to spend some wonderful quality time with her family, catch up with longtime friends, and felt better than she had in a very long time, before the good lord called her home.
Our hearts are broken over her passing but we know she is at peace, fully healed and is with Jesus rejoicing in heaven and with her family and friends that went before her. She just made heaven a sweeter place to be.
Those who were blessed to have known and loved her are welcome to attend her visitation at Ingram Funeral Home on Friday April 22nd from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Funeral services will be held on Saturday, April 23rd, at 1:00 p.m. in the Chapel at Ingram Funeral Home. Pastor Johnathon Ward from Gravel Springs Baptist Church in Buford will be officiating. Burial will follow at Burnt Mountain Baptist Church in Jasper.
Ingram Funeral Home, 210 Ingram Ave, Cumming, GA is in charge of arrangements.
Condolences may be expressed online at ingramfuneralhome.com.