Talena Wheatley

Talena Berniece (Cook) Wheatley, 69, of Lewis, Iowa, passed away Sunday, October 6, 2002, at the Cass County Memorial Hospital in Atlantic.The daughter of Elmer Charles and Elsie Marie (Ayers) Cook, Talena was born March 15, 1933 in Atlantic where she grew up and graduated from Atlantic High School in 1952. She was united in marriage to Johnnie Edwin Wheatley on July 2, 1956 at the Little Brown Church at Nashua, Iowa. Talena was a member of the Lewis United Congregational Methodist Church where she currently had been serving on the Nominating Committee, was Membership Secretary of the Church and Secretary-Treasurer of Mary Ruth Circle. In previous years she also had been Circle Representative of Mary Ruth, custodian of the church, teacher of Vacation Bible School and Sunday School and had served on the Worship, Stewardship and Pastoral Search Committees. Talena was also a past ten year 4-H leader and a member of Pony Express Riders of Iowa.Talena enjoyed working on church committees and delivering meals on wheels. Her hobbies included embroidering, cooking and planting flowers. Talena enjoyed spending time with her family and friends, but especially enjoyed time spent with her grandchildren. She always said they were what kept her young at heart. She was always willing to lend a helping hand and was always there with a smile and never-ending generosity. Talena gave in death as she gave in life; she was an organ and tissue donor. Someone, somewhere will actually see life through her beautiful eyes.Talena is survived by her husband, Johnnie E. Wheatley of Lewis; two daughters, Debra (Wheatley) Baker and husband, Tyler, of Atlantic and Lisa (Wheatley) Masker and husband, Doug, of Battle Creek, Iowa; two grandchildren, John Tyler Baker of Atlantic and Sarah Jo Masker of Battle Creek; three sisters, Velma Wheeler of Villisca, Norma Vollmuth and husband, Ferd, of Atlantic and Marilyn Weber and husband, Donald, of Leesburg, Florida; two brothers, Cleo Cook and Don Cook and wife, Marilyn, all of Atlantic; one sister-in-law, Rosalee Cook of Atlantic and numerous nieces and nephews.Preceding her in death were her parents, Charles and Elsie (Ayers) Cook; four grandchildren, Haley Baker, Matthew, Lacey and John Masker; one sister, Mrs. Betty Glissmann; three brothers, Ernest, Darrell and Robert Cook and a nephew, Donald Weber II.Funeral InformationFuneral services for Talena will be held at the Lewis United Congregational Methodist Church in Lewis, Iowa on Thursday, October 10, 2002, at 11:00 A.M. with Rev. Sharon S. Guffey-Lewis officiating. Interment will be in the Oakwood Cemetery at Lewis.