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Marjorie Dixon Wheeling died Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at the age of 85.

Wheeling was born at home during a snow storm in rural Elmore County, Alabama near Wetumpka on Feb. 26, 1935.

Wheeling attended, school in Beulah from 3rd grade until her graduation in 1953.

At the age of 14, she experienced the death of her father from an unexpected heart attack. She then became the sole caregiver for her mother, who was battling cancer at the time. While dealing with these challenges, she completed high school as a member of the Beta Club for outstanding academic performance.

Later, Wheeling attended Southern Union Community College, Valley Campus, where she received her Associate of Science degree in business in 1976.

Wheeling was a member of Beulah United Methodist Church for over 60 years serving on the Administrative Council multiple times, and teaching Sunday School to the teenagers for many years.

Further organizations supported by Wheeling include: Beulah School PTA serving one year as President during the 1960’s, Auburn University’s International Relations Club also in the 1960s where she continued a life-long correspondence and friendship with other members of this group from all over the world, Chattahoochee Valley Historical Society for many decades where she served on the board as President. Her love of history was evident because she was known as her family’s personal historian. She was also a member of the Human Relations Club, which was formed in the Valley area to promote racial understanding during our nation’s civil rights movement and during the time of desegregation in our local community.

Wheeling was employed by Batson Cook Construction Company for 40 years. For many of those years, she served as the cashier/bookkeeper for the corporation. After her retirement from Batson Cook, she took a part-time job at the Cobb Archives in Valley, where she assisted many Valley citizens in the research of their local and own family history.

She loved flowers and animals and surrounded herself with both throughout her entire life.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ion Grady Dixon and Minnie Belle Hodnett Dixon.

he is survived by one daughter, Donna Ward McClellan and her husband Philip Thomas McClellan; one granddaughter, Leah McClellan and her husband Steven Brantley; two grandsons, Gregory Philip McClellan and his wife Candy McClellan and Bradley Thomas McClellan. She also has five great grandchildren including: Anthony McClellan, Bryan McClellan, Jessica McClellan, Ethan Brantley and Ella Brantley and three great-great grandchildren Bryson Jordan, Isaiah McClellan and Dakota Kirkland. She is further survived by her closest friend of 60 years, Dr. Katrina Yielding.

Due to gathering concerns associated with the current virus, a private, family-only graveside service was held at Hopewell United Methodist Church Cemetery on Tuesday, March 19, 2020.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Beulah United Methodist Church College Scholarship Fund in her memory. The church address is 5165 Lee Road 270, Valley, Alabama 36854.

Please visit her Memorial Tribute Page at www.johnsonbrownservicefh.com to leave a kind word for her family, to share a memory of Wheeling, or to light a Remembrance Candle in her memory.

Johnson Brown-Service Funeral Home of Valley directing.