Terry Wheeler
Terry Wheeler, 82, of Hampton, passed away on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the Rehabilitation Center of Hampton. A brief military service began at 2 p.m. with visitation follow ing until 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, October 24, 2026, at the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton. Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sietsema-Atkinson Funeral Home in Hampton.
Terry Lee Wheeler was born January 7, 1944, to Ephraim Wheeler and Ives (Jensen) Wheeler Struthoff at Lutheran Hospital in Hampton, Iowa. His father died in Belgium in WW2, when Terry was a year old.
Terry attended Hansell Consolidated School (perfect attendance for 11 years) and graduated from Hampton High School in 1962. While at Hansell he met his lifelong partner of almost 64 years, Karen Andersen. They were married at St. John’s Lutheran Church, rural Hampton on November 24th, 1962. Terry and Karen were blessed with three children, Roddy, Tauni and Tara.
As a sole surviving son, Terry would not have been required to serve in the military, but he wanted to serve his country and enlisted in the USMC. He survived 3 years and 4 months at Camp Pendleton California and Danang Air Base, Vietnam, obtaining the rank of sergeant in that short time. Unfortunately, he was sprayed with agent orange and suffered from many health problems as a result.
After service Terry worked for Prestressed Concrete, Welden Brothers, Fort Dodge Transportation before acquiring Hampton Roofing, operating it for 31 years.
Terry was an avid hunter and fisherman, hunting geese, deer, turkey, pheasant, elk and bear, but duck hunting and ice fishing were his favorite. He made an annual trip to Ear Falls, Canada for walleye fishing.
As a child, Terry remembered Kids Fish Day at Mott’s Creek, so he joined the Hampton Fish and Game Club to start up Kids Fish Day again. As a member of the club, he organized fish feeding at Beed Lake Fish Rearing Ponds and stocked local waters around Hampton. This club was the first club in Iowa allowed to stock walleye. He was appointed a member of the Franklin County Conservation Board for 10 years and was instrumental in the building of Maynes Grove’s Lodge. He secured financing from the Board of Supervisors and worked closely with the project manager on the building of the Lodge. Terry taught Hunter’s Safety for 25 years, the last several as Chief Instructor.
In these early years, he was a Babe Ruth Coach, and he often talked about how much he enjoyed his players. He also enjoyed gardening, especially raising tomatoes and giving most of them away.
Terry and Karen enjoyed golf, family, class and Marine Corp reunion and their many trips to Las Vegas. They wintered in Arizona for 14 years, where their favorite thing was attending the Chicago Cubs Spring Training.
Terry was a member of St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Hampton, the American Legion, Ducks Unlimited and Pheasants Forever.
Terry is survived by his wife Karen, Son Roddy (Sonia) Wheeler of Star Valley, Arizona, Daughter Tara (Tommy) Zakeer of Dumont, IA, and 7 grandchildren, Jonathan (Alyssa) Wheeler, Elizabeth Sporaa, Brittni Sandoval, Zachary Sporaa, Tanner (Sarah) Miller, Christian (Audrey)Miller, and Michael Harmon, and 11 Great-grandchildren, Sophie Warwick Miller, Omer, Opal and Ethel Miller, Eleanor and Elmer Sandoval, Gable and Rulon Miller, Kailani and Kai’lil Sporaa, MacKenzie Harmon, 3 nieces and many cousins.
He was preceded in death by, Daughter Tauni Harmon, his parents Ephraim and Ives, stepfather Delmer Struthoff, 2 brothers Kent and John Struthoff, in- laws Hilbur and Irma Andersen and brother-in-law Rodney Andersen.
Memorials will be donated to Franklin County Conservation.