Obituary

Kathleen Barnes McGarr Wheeler, 87, died on April 3, 2008, in Canadian, Texas, from complications of Alzheimer's disease. A funeral service celebrating her life will be held at 10 a.m. April 7 at St. Alice Catholic Church with Father Jim McCartney officiating. Burial will follow at Plainview Memorial Park under the direction of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview. Kathleen was born Sept. 20, 1920, in St. Joseph, Mo., to Ronald and Opal Barnes. She attended school in St. Joseph and graduated from high school in 1938. She went on to attend Maryville State Teachers College in Maryville, Mo. She married Jack McGarr on Dec. 2, 1944, and moved to Plainview in 1946. She worked for the Plainview ISD for 11 years, retiring in 1981. Following the death of Mr. McGarr, she married Tom J. Wheeler on Nov. 16, 1991. She was actively involved in St. Alice Catholic Church, St. Anne's Altar Society and Meals on Wheels for many years. She lived in Plainview for more than 60 years until moving to Canadian, Texas, in 2007. She is survived by her son, John P. McGarr, III of Canadian and his wife, Diana; her daughter Elaine Ekmark of Dallas and her husband, Fred; and her daughter Claire Bassett of Houston and her husband, Greg. She is also survived by her step-son, Newt Wheeler of Idalou and his wife, Celia; and her stepdaughter Julie Wheeler of Lubbock. She is survived by nine grandchildren: Matthew McGarr and his wife, Becky; Katy McGarr; Mary Susan McGarr; Mara Boyer and her husband, Michael; Ryan Ekmark and his wife Jennifer; Leah Ekmark; Allison Bassett; Colin Bassett and Lauren Wheeler; and one great-grandchild, Mark Anthony McGarr. She leaves behind numerous members of her extended family and many friends. She was preceded in death by husbands Jack McGarr in 1972 and Tom Wheeler in 1995 as well as her brothers, George, Donald and Ronald Barnes. A visitation will be held at 6 p.m. on Sunday evening, April 6 followed by a rosary at 7 p.m. at Kornerstone Funeral Directors. Pallbearers will include Matthew McGarr, Ryan Ekmark, Colin Bassett, Michael Boyer, Mark Horne, Richard Gaitan and Charles Reinken. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Meals on Wheels, P.O. Box 1984, Plainview, TX 79073; or the Hemphill County Hospice, 1020 S. Fourth Street, Canadian, TX 79014. The family wishes to thank Richard and Lydia Gaitan, the nurses of the Hemphill County Hospice and the staff of the Edward Abraham Memorial Nursing Home for their care during her lengthy battle with Alzheimer's disease.