Carl Lee Wheeler

Mr. Carl Lee Wheeler, Sr., 78, retired welder and resident of Westover Drive, died Monday, August 29, 2006 at NHC Hillview. Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m., Friday, at Oakes & Nichols Funeral Home with Rev. Eddie Rogers officiating. Burial will be in Polk Memorial Gardens with The family will visit with friends Thursday from 5 - 8 p.m. at the funeral home. Memorials may be made to Hospice of the Highland Rim, 1412 Trotwood Ave., Suite 5, Columbia, Tennessee, 38401 or Jared's Dream, c/o Friends of Maury County Parks, 1018 Maury County Park Drive, Columbia, Tennessee, 38401. Notes of sympathy may be sent to the family at www.oakesandnichols.com. The Rolfe, Iowa native was the son of Sylvia Double Wheeler of Rolfe, Iowa and the late Willard D. Wheeler. He served in the United States Navy during World War II. Following his military service he moved to Tennessee and loved it so much he stayed here the rest of his life. He went to body and fender school for two years then learned the trade of welding from his brother-in-law and best friend, J.A. Lynn. He was employed as a welder by Armour Mines for 18 years until the plant closed and went on to work as an iron worker, welder and construction worker with several companies including Columbia Construction. Following his retirement he worked at Maury County Solid Waste Convenient Center. He was a longtime gunsmith, avid gardener and loved woodworking. Mr. Wheeler was a member of Craft Memorial United Methodist Church. In addition to his mother he is survived by wife, Perry Lee Hayes Wheeler of Columbia; his son, Ronnie Lee Wheeler of Nashville; two daughters, Karen Lee Jernigan, Linda Lee (Jeff) Wiley both of Columbia; four grandchildren, Harley Lee Callihan, Benjamin Lee Wheeler, Laura LeAnn Wheeler, Austin Lee Woods; four great-grandchildren, Sebastian Lee, Sylvia, Tony, Toby; and several nieces and nephews in Iowa. He was preceded in death by a son, Carl Lee Wheeler, Jr. and a sister, Dorothy Clark. Pallbearers will be Jeff Wiley, Anthony Sims, Bobby Davis, Benjamin Wheeler, Clarence Edgeton and Johnny Hood. Honorary pallbearers will be Austin Woods, Sebastian Callihan, Ernest King and Harold Williams.