Lenore A. (Nelson) Wheat

Lenore A. (Nelson) Wheat

November 27, 1926 – May 12, 2024

Madison, WI / Rockford, IL / Alta, IA – Lenore passed at the age of 97 years, following a short stay at Agrace Hospice in Madison. During Lenore’s later years, she moved from her long-time Rockford home to live with daughters in Madison. While in Madison, Lenore attended Cross Plains Senior Center, and Agrace Adult Day Center.

Born in Alta, Iowa, and named for her eldest aunt, she grew up as an only child on a farm with her parents. They lived just down the road from Lenore’s paternal grandparents’ house, where she visited often and played with numerous cousins. At different times, both of her widowed grandfathers lived with Lenore and her parents. Like others of her generation, she experienced the Great Depression. Fortunately, her family didn’t go hungry, since they grew their own food.

Lenore said her childhood dresses were made from flour sacks. She worked hard on the farm, carrying buckets of water to the house, feeding the chickens, detasseling corn, etc. She’d ride to town on her bicycle, with a basket full of sweet corn to sell. She’d later say, “My basket was always empty on the way home, because everybody knew my dad grew the best sweet corn.”

At the University of Iowa, Lenore studied English and Botany, and met her future husband, Karl Wheat, in a biology class. While Lenore was in college, her parents had a second child, a son, and soon relocated to Alexandria, MN. Lenore and Karl were married there in September 1947. The photo posted here of Lenore and Karl was taken in 1948, about 1 year after they were married.

Lenore and Karl’s first child was born during Karl’s last year of pharmacy school. Upon his graduation they moved to Rockford, where Karl had grown up. They bought their first home, and added 3 more children to the family. Lenore loved music, singing, whistling and dancing. While her children were young, she would push the dining table aside, put a music record on, and encourage her children to dance along with her.

Not long after the young couple moved to Rockford, Karl (with a business partner) purchased and operated Porter’s Drug Store at State and Main in Rockford. Later, Karl opened a second store on Kilburn Ave in Rockford.  At times Lenore worked at the downtown store. Later, she worked full-time at the Kilburn Ave store. Over the years Lenore also took several long-term substitute teaching jobs.

When Karl passed unexpectedly in 1989, Lenore closed the pharmacy and retired. For many years, Lenore continued to live in her home on John St. She mowed her lawn with an electric mower, weeded by hand, tended to flowers, composted, and collected water from her downspouts. She enjoyed riding her bike and shoveled snow even as she passed her 80^th birthday. As a widow, she traveled on her own to spend a few summers at a lake cabin that had been part of her parents’ fishing resort. Lenore was an animal and nature lover, and loved being “at the Lake”. Many wonderful memories were made there. Each summer, Lenore and Karl had traveled to visit Lenore’s parents at the resort, vacationing there with their children, and close family friends, enjoying fishing, swimming, playing cards and other activities.

Lenore also liked interesting and thought-provoking and scientific books, magazines and television programs. She enjoyed cooking and trying new recipes, but it seems her favorite foods were among the most simple: fresh strawberries, ice cream, and homemade biscuits… yummy.

Lenore was a devoted wife, mother, teacher and business partner. She was witty and intelligent, and a life-long learner, driven by the beat of her own drum. She could be as generous, and as stubborn, as the day is long, a force to be reckoned with. A feminist at heart, she supported women’s rights and believed a woman should be able to follow her dreams. Her dear friend, Yvonne, once referred to Lenore as a ‘spitfire’. For most of Lenore’s years, there was certainly no moss growing under or around her feet.

One of Lenore’s favorite songs was Fly Me To The Moon (a.k.a. In Other Words, written by Bart Howard, and made famous as sung by Frank Sinatra). The lyrics include: “Fill my heart with song… let me sing forever more.” A fitting remembrance of Lenore.

Her most salient advice: Save and wisely invest your money. Do not depend on just SS for retirement.

Lenore is preceded in death by her parents, Curtis A. and Almira V. (Sherman) Nelson; husband, Karl Wheat; brother, Curtis S. Nelson; grandson, Brent Wheat; son-in-law, Daryl Krueger (a.k.a. Pete); and daughter-in-law, Diane (Shade) Wheat/Brennan.

Lenore is survived by her 4 children, 3 grandchildren, 5 great-grandchildren, her sister-in-law, and 2 nephews and their wives and children.

There will be no public memorial. If you are inclined, in lieu of flowers, donations are suggested to the following:

PBS Wisconsin, Vilas Communications Hall, 821 University Ave, Madison, WI 53706; https://pbswisconsin.org/donate/ (or other worthy PBS station.)

LymeDisease.org, PO Box 716, San Ramon, CA 94583; https://www.lymedisease.org/donate/

Agrace, 5395 E. Cheryl Parkway, Madison, WI 53711 (make check payable to Agrace Foundation); https://www.agrace.org/donate/

Please share your memories at www.cressfuneralservice.com

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