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Ellen Wheaton

November 6, 1928 - December 29, 2018
Traverse City, MI

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Service

Friday, January 11, 2019
2:00 PM EST
Central United Methodist Church
222 S. Cass St.
Traverse City, MI 49684

The family will greet friends who knew Ellen well at 1pm.

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Hospice of Michigan
10850 E. Traverse Hwy., Suite 1155
Traverse City, MI 49684
(888) 247-5701
Web Site

Silver Muzzle Cottage Rescue and Hospice
3785 Rice Rd NW
Rapid City, MI 49676
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Cherryland Floral
1208 S. Garfield
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 941-5761
Driving Directions
Web Site

Flower Station
341 W. Front St.
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 946-1742
Driving Directions
Web Site

Blossom Shop
1023 E. Eighth St.
Traverse City, MI 49686
(231) 932-9470
Driving Directions
Web Site

Lilies Of The Alley
227 E. State St - Alley
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 360-3620
Web Site

Premier Floral Design and Gift Emporium
800 Cottageview Dr., Ste 55
Traverse City, MI 49684
(231) 947-1167
Driving Directions

Life Story / Obituary


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Our mom, Ellen Wheaton, passed away at Boardman Lake Glens, Inverness House, with loved ones nearby on Saturday evening, December 29, 2018. She was tired, didn't like her age-related dementia, and at 90 years old, she had missed our dad for over 31 years. It was time.

Ellen was born November 6, 1928, to Shirley Stoddard Heystek and Joseph Jan Heystek in Flint, MI. She had three older sisters, Eleanor (Penny), Elizabeth (Betty) and Loujane, and then a brother, Joe, was born 2 years later. Sadly, their father passed when mom was only four years old, but the family was raised with love by their strong, independent mother. Ellen graduated from Flint Central High School in June and couldn't wait to marry Robert Claude Wheaton on July 26, 1947 that same summer! She lived her life as Bob's wife in Grand Blanc and as mom to the three daughters she loved so much.

Mom and Dad were delighted when they became grandparents to five grandsons. They had such wonderful times with their five boys, whether celebrating birthdays with the money grab bag, at holiday gatherings, in their RV at Little Finger Campground on Lake Leelanau, or having one on one overnight adventures. It was a shock to the entire family when two years after his early retirement, and just weeks after turning 60, dad died of a heart attack on July 14, 1987.

At 58, mom had no choice but to carry on, and she did so with the love and guidance of her family. Mom was incredibly proud of the fine men her grandsons became, continuing to be an integral part of their lives. In 1989, Raymond Whiting became a companion to mom for the next 20 years. The blessing of Raymond was how special he made our mom feel. Together, they moved from Flint to Traverse City in 2008, the year before Raymond passed. Until July of 2017, mom was loving life at Bay Ridge Independent Living. We used to joke that she was living life as if she were in a college dorm, with all her friends and activities, with no tests to take! It was fun to watch her truly become “just Ellen” for the first time in her life. This also gave her the opportunity to know and love her six great-grandchildren, who all enjoyed playing with the matchbox cars at Great-Gramma Ellen's.

Her final home (as she always proudly stated time and again this past year) was at Boardman Lake Glens with the beautiful, peaceful views of the lake from every window. We are forever indebted to the staff for the loving, patient care she received from every single caregiver at Inverness. Additionally, Just Like Family provided our mom with two “adopted daughters”, Laura Wilson and Gail Jones, who supported our mom and us through her final years.

Ellen is survived by daughters Kathryn Ann Mead and Marsha Ellen Wheaton of Traverse City. Her grandsons include Marcus Robert Wheaton Mead (Robyn) and children Meredith, Madeline and Wesley of Traverse City, Greg Mead (Angela) and children Aiden, Hudson and Brice of Grand Rapids and Elk Lake, and Doug Mead of Traverse City. Additionally, she will be missed by her sister-in-law Joann Heystek in Montrose and many much-loved nieces, nephews and extended family and friends. We are grateful that so many were able to visit mom this past year.

A memorial service for Ellen will be held on Friday, January 11, 2019 at Central United Methodist Church in Traverse City. The family will greet extended family and close friends at 1:00 pm with Pastor Chris Lane officiating the service at 2:00 pm. Light refreshments will be served in the church fellowship hall for further celebration of mom's life. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations of any size be sent to either Hospice of Michigan, 10850 E. Traverse Hwy #1155, Traverse City, MI 49684, or Silver Muzzle Cottage Rescue and Hospice, 3785 Rice Rd. NW, Rapid City, MI 49676. Ellen has been cremated and will join her Robert at Evergreen Cemetery in Grand Blanc, MI at a later date. Please visit www.lifestorytc.com to sign the guestbook and share your thoughts with the family. All arrangements are handled with excellence by Life Story Funeral Home.

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