Georgia Ruth Wheeler

Georgia Ruth (Blackmon) Wheeler, 88, of Springtown, Texas, passed away peacefully on August 27, 2025 at 7:22 p.m. surrounded by the love of her family. Born on July 16, 1937, in Agnes, Texas, she was raised with strong Christian values that shaped her life and the many lives she touched.

Graveside Service: 10 a.m., Thursday, September 4, 2025 at Springtown Cemetery, Springtown, Texas

Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m., Wednesday, September 3, 2025 at White's Funeral Home Chapel in Springtown, Texas.

Celebration of Life, 12:00 p. m., Thursday, September 4, 2025, Hilltop Church, Springtown, Texas. (Family and friends are warmly invited to attend and join us in remembering her remarkable life.)

Georgia married the late John Leatherwood Sr., in August of 1953, and later shared her life with her beloved husband, the late Elmer Wheeler, whom she married on March 4, 1983, in Parker County, Texas. She was preceded in death by Elmer, as well as three of her bonus sons, Thomas Lee Wheeler, Billy Wayne Wheeler, and Michael Wheeler.

She is survived by her sister, Joyce Christie; her eight biological children with John Leatherwood Sr.: Cora Sue Nelson, John E Leatherwood Jr., Kathy Burdett, Beatrice Burgess, Betty Todd, Velvea Lynn White, Elizabeth Lewis, and Dorothy Williams; and her bonus children from her marriage to Elmer Wheeler: Patsy Smith, Lois Tuttle, Eugene Wheeler, and Mary Ramirez. She is also survived by many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren, along with countless others who came into her life and were welcomed as her own.

Georgia was a woman of remarkable strength and faith. As a child, she worked in the cotton fields and was only able to attend school half the year between second and eighth grade, yet she taught herself to read and write. She later worked many years on the night shift as a manager at 7-Eleven, all while raising her children as a single parent, proving time and again that she could do anything she set her mind to.

Known as a caretaker, peacemaker, and the matriarch of her family, Georgia embodied love in action. She loved her garden, had the voice of a beautiful singer, and carried wisdom that continues to guide her family.

Her faith was the foundation of her life. She often quoted John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” She found comfort in Psalm 23: “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” and in Matthew 6:34: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” In her final moments, the last verse she recalled was John 5:8: “Get up, pick up your mat and walk.” Fittingly, her favorite book of the Bible was Ruth, which she said gave her strength through many of life’s challenges.

Georgia had a way of sharing advice that stayed with you. She once told her granddaughter, “When you’re driving and you look in the rearview mirror, you see what’s behind you. That’s called hindsight. If we all had a rearview mirror, we’d learn from our mistakes.” It was one of many pieces of wisdom she gifted her family, along with her laughter, her stories, and her unshakable presence.

Her favorite saying, passed down from her father, reflected both her humor and her strength: “Beauty is skin deep, but ugly is to the bone. Beauty may fade, but ugly holds its own. I guess I’ll be here for a long time.” Georgia was beautiful inside and out. She was fierce, compassionate, funny, and tough. She loved with her whole heart, worried over every member of her family, and never failed to open her home to those in need, so long as they respected her rules.

Georgia Wheeler leaves behind a legacy of love, resilience, faith, and family that will live on for generations. She was more than a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and great-great-grandmother, she was an inspiration.