Evora Ann Wheeler

Evora Wheeler, a beloved matriarch, devoted public servant, and lifelong resident of Emporia, Kansas, passed away peacefully on January 2, 2026, at the age of 94. She lived a life defined by faith, service, generosity, and love—quietly and faithfully caring for others in ways that shaped her family and her community for generations.

Evora was born on March 3, 1931, to Ivor Jones Rees and Elva Blanche Davis Rees at their farm home southwest of Emporia. Raised with strong values and a deep sense of responsibility to others, she walked to Sardis Congregational Church as a child and carried those early lessons of faith and kindness throughout her life. She graduated from Valley Star Rural School, Emporia High School, and Clark’s School of Business in Topeka, and later pursued advanced studies in organizational management, including post-graduate coursework at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and continuing education at Emporia State University. Learning, like service, was something she embraced for a lifetime.

On November 24, 1949, Evora married the love of her life, Ralph Eugene Wheeler. Together they shared 66 years of marriage before his passing in 2016. Their home was one of warmth, hospitality, and constant activity. Evora was a devoted mother to their four children—Barbara Ann, Kenneth Eugene, John Ralph, and Tomas Alan—and a proud grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother. Family was the center of her world, and she delighted in caring for them just as faithfully as she cared for her wider community. She also had a lifelong love of animals, from the farm animals of her youth to the many cats and dogs she cherished over the years, including her beloved cat Annie.

Known affectionately by many as the “matriarch of Emporia,” Evora dedicated her life to public service and community leadership. She served as a secretary at the Kansas State Teachers College for 3 years, cashier at A&P and Foodtown grocery for 13 years, secretary at the Lyon County Extension Office for 4 years, staff vice president of the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce for over 16 years, and a real estate agent for 9 years. She served Emporia as a City Commissioner, the Mayor of Emporia, and in 2007 she co-chaired the Emporia Sesquicentennial Celebration. After retiring from real estate, she was a cashier at Reeble’s Country Mart for an additional 5 years. Her leadership was never about recognition—it was about stewardship and leaving her hometown better than she found it.

Evora’s volunteerism was extraordinary. She served in countless leadership roles with organizations such as 4-H, PTA, and the First Congregational Church, where she held nearly every leadership position over the years. She was president of numerous organizations, including the Kiwanis Club of Emporia, the Emporia Board of Realtors, the Lyon County Historical Society, and St. David’s Welsh Society. She volunteered at retirement homes, supported the Emporia Rescue Mission, and was a founding member of Lyon County Crime Stoppers. If there was a need, Evora was there—quietly organizing, encouraging, and helping.

Her lifetime of service was recognized with many honors, including the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Emporia Area Chamber of Commerce, the Liberty Bell Award, the President’s Call to Service Gold Award, the Service to Mankind Award, the Hometown Hero Award from Emporia State University, and the Lifetime Advocate Award from the David Traylor Zoo. Despite the recognition, she remained humble, often saying she simply used her “time and talents” to serve God and others.

In addition to her leadership and service, Evora was famous for her baking. Known lovingly as the “pie lady” and the “cinnamon roll lady,” she baked wedding cakes, pies, cookies, and countless desserts for family, friends, fundraisers, and those in need. Her donated pies raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for community causes over the years. She delivered baked goods to shut-ins, local businesses, and public servants, spreading comfort and joy one batch at a time.

Evora Wheeler lived by the Golden Rule. She used her time and talents generously, loved deeply, and served faithfully. Her legacy is found not only in the organizations she strengthened or the awards she received, but in the countless lives she touched through kindness, humility, and unwavering dedication to others.

She will be profoundly missed by her family, her friends, and the community she loved so dearly—but her spirit lives on in the example she set and the love she shared.

Evora will live on in the hearts and cherished memories of her daughter, Barbara Ann Wheeler White, and her husband, Steve White, of Juneau, Alaska; her sons, Kenneth Eugene Wheeler and his wife, Leigh, of Shawnee, and Tomas Alan Wheeler and his wife, Rebecca Jo, of Emporia; and her daughter-in-law, Ruth Wheeler, of Emporia.

She is also survived by her grandchildren: Heather Kay Lewis Jardell and her husband, Kevin Jardell; Edra Ann Lewis Morledge and her significant other, Nate DeMars; Samuel Wheeler Lewis; Sarah Rachelle Jordan and her husband, Jeremy Hall; Samantha Anne Wheeler Petrie and her husband, Grant Petrie; Erika Michelle Wheeler and her wife, Korrin Wheeler; Julia Rhys Wheeler; Jenika Whitney Wheeler and her fiancé, William Young; Ashley Nicole Wheeler and her fiancé, Dozie Iwuagwu; Emma Catherine Wheeler; and Jacob Ralph Wheeler.

She is further survived by her great-grandchildren: Karli Anna Brakes; Marissa Michelle Brakes Clark and her husband, Andruw Clark; Danielle Karalyn Graham Nauer and her husband, Samson Nauer; Kyelisa Noelle Graham Jaeger and her husband, Kohl Jaeger; Charlotte Lillian Jordan; Zackery Cornell Jordan; Jace Myles Petrie; Adelynn Grace Petrie; and Brookes Eugene Petrie.

She is also survived by her great-great-grandchildren: Millie Lonie Nauer; Rylynn Kai Nauer; Liam Thomas Jaeger; Gavin Graham Jaeger; and Scottie Grace Clark.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Ralph Eugene Wheeler, and her son, John Ralph Wheeler.

A Celebration of Evora’s Life will be held from 1:00 P.M. until 4:00 P.M., Saturday, January 17, 2026, at the Anderson Building. A special remembrance service will be held at 2:00 P.M. during the visiting hours. Memorial contributions may be made to the Evora Ann Rees Wheeler Memorial Fund to be designated by family at a later date. Contributions can be sent to the Jones VanArsdale Funeral Home at P.O. Box #43, Lebo, Kansas 66856. Condolences may be expressed at vanarsdalefs.com.