Geronima "Jerrie" Wheeler, age 93, a longtime Atoka, OK resident. She was born on Wednesday, August 20, 1930, to Guadalupe V. and Juana "Juanita" (Turner) Rodriguez, at Willacy County, TX. Jerrie passed away on Wednesday, January 24, 2024 at her home in Atoka, OK.  She attended and graduated from Harlingen High School in Harlingen, TX in 1949. Jerrie then earned a Bachelor of Science Degree at Texas Women's University in Denton, TX. She majored in Business Education and minored in Merchandising. Jerrie then earned her certification in Special Education and Elementary Education. Jerrie earned her Master's Degree in Education at East Texas State College, now Texas A&M at Commerce in 1972.  Jerrie taught Elementary Education and was a Special Education Supervisor for 24 years in Harlingen, TX. She was a life member of the Texas Teachers Association and served as President of the Harlingen Unit. Jerry was also a member of the Classrooms Teachers Association and a long-time member of Delta Kappa Gamma Society International for Women in Education. In Atoka, she taught second grade students at Thunderbird and Mamie Johnson schools for 17 years. She was a member of the Atoka Classroom Teachers Association and Atoka Retired Educators. Jerrie loved all her students in her classes. She retained pictures of their faces and names for lengths of time. She married Jimmy Wheeler on Tuesday, June 19th, 1979 at Atoka, OK. They had a wonderful life together for 44 years. Jerrie was a devoted and faithful member of the Catholic Church and attended St. Patrick Catholic Church in Atoka, OK for 45 years. Her love for Jesus was always with her. Jerrie was also a member and officer of the Pink Iris Garden Club, Friends of the Library and Pioneer Club. When she was younger she learned to sew from watching her oldest sister Mary, who was a beautiful seamstress and sewed her own clothes for middle school. Jerrie sewed swimsuits for her two sisters for a trip to the beach at Padre Island Beach out of curtains. She loved to play beauty shop with her sisters, gave perms and hairsets to sisters and friends. One of her favorite things to do was reading, she was a constant reader. Jerrie learned to crochet and knit early. She crocheted a bedspread and pillows for a bed while she mourned her son, who when he died at 15 years of age and went back to her reading mountains of books.
Jerrie is survived by her husband, Jimmy Wheeler of the home in Atoka, OK; sisters-in-law, Bobbie Wilson, Rosa Maria Rodriguez; along with nineteen wonderful and loving nieces and nephews, cousins, other relatives and many sweet and wonderful friends.
Jerrie was preceded in death by her parents, Guadalupe V. and Juana (Turner) Rodriguez; son, Kenneth Jonathan Swift; sisters, Maria R. Cantu (Antonio), Leanor R. Garcia (Frank), Olympia R. Villarreal (Manuel), Laura Rodriguez; brothers, Guadalupe T. Rodriguez, Belen T. Rodriguez, Ramon T. Rodriguez (Teresa), Enrique T. Rodriguez, infant brother.
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DATE OF SERVICES: 09:00 AM Friday, January 26th, 2024
PLACE OF SERVICES: St. Patrick Catholic Church, Atoka, Oklahoma
OFFICIATING: Father Carl Kerkemeyer
INTERMENT: Green Meadows Cemetery, Atoka, Oklahoma
CASKETBEARERS: Clay McCall, Kelly Kennedy, Austin Brown, Zeb Bradford, Zackery Bradford, Chance Mobbs, Vince Beck
HONORARY CASKETBEARERS: Roy Mobbs, Tonya Barton, Thelma Bledsoe, Suzanne Plyler, Jane Taylor, Carolyn Richard
CONDOLENCES MAY BE SENT TO THE FAMILY BY EMAIL TO: BROWNS@ATOKA.NET.  PLEASE REFERENCE THE NAME OF THE DECEASED IN YOUR CORRESPONDENCE
FAMILY NIGHT IS THURSDAY 6-8PM
ROSARY AT 7:00 PM
THE FAMILY WISHES TO THANK FRIENDS AND FAMILY FOR THEIR SUPPORT, MESSAGES AND PRAYERS THROUGHOUT JERRIE'S ILLNESS AND THE STAFF OF GUARDIAN HOSPICE FOR THEIR CARE AND GUIDANCE.

SERVICES UNDER THE DIRECTION OF
BROWN'S FUNERAL SERVICE - ATOKA, OK