This is the 10 children all grown up. Mum is 85. Front Row L-R Margaret, Lesley, Mum, Norma, Janet, Helen. Back Row L-R Pearl, David, Ted, Paul, Peter.

This is a small bunch of the result, to date, of that Wheeler family. We would be so much less on our own. With our loving wives, husbands and children we touch a lot of others.

I ask for your patience and understanding while this page takes shape. If you have ANY trouble with this please email me at tedontario@gmail.com. I would be happy to discuss any comments pro or con. The most important thing, to remember, is most of the people, on this page, would not be here or have done the good we do had we died that day.

This page has to do with my own thoughts on the results of the Tornado of 1946. When you are 59 years old and you take time to look around, at where you are and who you believe yourself to be, you start to wonder "What If"?

In the book of Luke in the Christian Bible we read how the Angel Gabriel was sent to Mary to tell her she had found great favour with God. That she would conceive and bare a Son, who would be called Son of the Most High. Mary was troubled by this but, in the end she said "Let it be done to me as you say". (Luke 1: 38). To me the greatness of Mary is she said yes to Gabriel at a very high cost. What if she said no! I believe God would have found another, but, we would have been saved by Jesus. We just would not know about Mary.

What if I didn't survive that storm? What if one of the five of us who were in the house were the 18th one who died? To me I believe you can honestly say, well we will never know because we all did live. I look at my family, I am the second of 10 children. Four boys six girls. We rebuilt on the same old site as the house had been. We lived there and played there. We loved each other and we fought each other too, from time to time.

So with all this preamble I will start to explore the family I am part of and find out "WHAT IF"

<Albert Leslie and Margaret Catherine Wheeler. This shot was taken about 1978 and the cottage in Howdenvale

The place to start is to list the members of the family. Albert L Wheeler (Dad) Margaret C Wheeler {Pheysey} (Mum) Peter L Wheeler,Edward D Wheeler, Paul R Wheeler, Pearl F Wheeler, Margaret Wheeler Helen P Wheeler Norma Wheeler, Lesley C. Wheeler, Janet E. Wheeler, David J Wheeler. This is the Wheeler family 4 boys and 6 girls with 22 years between them. Of these the one's in the house at the time were Dad, Mum, Peter, and Edward. There was a fifth person there that day and it was our cousin Faith, who's Dad, Edward Charles Samuel Wheeler died in the war and she never knew him. That part of the family is to me a very sad part and I suppose that is the point of this web page too because now we can look back and see how the family needs each part to make it whole. Sadly Faith died in her twenties, having married and giving birth to two girls, who I do not know.

This is not so much meant to be a family tree as a way of trying, to show where we, who are here, touch each other. After the tornado of June 17th 1946 my Dad, with help from family and friends rebuilt the house that I, and my family, would grow up in. It was a simple house with a closed in front porch, a living room, dining room, kitchen, bathroom and two bedrooms on the first floor. Upstairs there were two bedrooms. There was a full basement which in the end had a big bedroom, Dad's work room, a coal room, laundry and heating room. It was stucco on the outside and there was a shed outback. There were two large maple trees and a big back yard. It really was a great time to be a growing boy in a growing family. Lots of room to reach out and stretch or minds and muscles.

At the time of the tornado my grand parents on my Dad's side lived with us. They were gone on that day and I wonder what if they were there? Some of "my" best memories are of my Nana singing hymns. I remember going fishing with my granddad at Rondeau Provincial Park. Granddad and Nana had a cottage there and I staid for a long time the summer I think I was 6 but must have been 7 as when I was 6 I broke my right wrist. Years later we camped a lot a Rondeau and my Mum would stay with us in tents and Dad would come out on weekends. I have found out that my dad was born not far from Rondeau. At a little crossing called Giles, (Guilds) Ontario.

My Dad after a couple miss steps on the road started a job in 1954 at Inter-City Truck Lines. He worked very hard and long hours. I would have enjoyed it if he had been home more but there were ten of us and lots of bills needed to be paid. One of my biggest and best memories is my Dad washing my hands at the bathroom sink. I will never forget how tender his hands were and how gentle. I talk to people I work with now in 2005 and those who remember him remember a man who was fun and stood up for lots of guys in the union who needed a hand. He was the Santa Clause at our Sunday School a couple times. He was a good guy to watch and would take on any challenge. He did everything around the house. I really do not remember too many repair men coming to the house. That is probably why I will take on any work. Do not, however, ask me to roof the house. My Dad had one very bad habit and that was smoking. He died of lung cancer when he was only 65. He should have lived a lot longer and had more time to know my children and those of my brothers and sisters.

My Mum was there all the time it seemed. Mum was a stay at home mum, made the bread, did the cooking, cleaning and some sewing. When there was decorating to do, as I remember, mum did it painting, papering. Mum had been a scout leader in England. Due to her back ground in this she made sure we had lots of out door knowledge. We went on great trips at least they seemed so at the time. My Mum was one of four daughters and the other three lived far a way. When we were small my Aunt Biff lived in Essex which was only 15 miles from Windsor. Aunt Pat lived in Pembroke which was a good days drive. Aunt Pauline lived in Providence Rhode Island which was about 12-16 hours depending on the stops. Every few years we would take a couple weeks and go on a trip, which was hard, I'm sure with money tight, but we sure had great times.

Pete, Marie, Peg Wheeler, Judy & Ted at Dutton Aug 7, 2005	Peter & Marie Wheeler Pete is my favourite older brother.	Judy & Ted Wheeler
Terry Anne Wheeler Chris Matthews		Kim's Wedding John-Paul, Kim, Ted, Judy & Terry Anne in front

Where would I have been without my cousins. We had lots of fun together they were great to visit. I know for sure we added a lot to each others lives. My older brother Peter married, Marie Richards, who is related in a round about way. She was from Rhode Island. My first love letter was to her sister Alice. It never went anywhere and I am glad as Judy is so perfect for me. At the time of this writing we have had several big reunions. We have traveled miles to be with each other and celebrate the lives we share. I look now and see our own children seeking the same friendships and connections we had.

My brother Peter was married in 1963. He was in the Canadian Army at the time. He is two years older than I and, for the most part, we did get along. I did learn years ago that he pushed me down the front porch steps in my buggy when I was two. We did a lot together playing in the yard, playing cowboys and Indians, which is now politically incorrect, We built tree houses and forts in the yard. He had a friend next door in the house that was also destroyed by the tornado. His name was Joe Harrison. One night while they were out collecting wood Peter was hit by a car and broke his pelvis.

I am the second son. There are four boys. Some say the middle child has all the breaks, well for a few years I was the middle child. I am not sure if I had the breaks they were talking about. I have had a very different life. Oh I suppose, if I really did the research I would find, I am very normal. Oct 30, 2005 was a very different day. It is the kind of day that you are very glad you made it to 59 years old. Even with all the bumps along the way, and there have been many, it has been worth the trip. I have just been over one of the bumps (injury) I cut my right thumb with a rotary tool while working in the garage. That was a week ago. Today Kim and her family along with Terry Anne and her finance, Chris came by to help with the work we are doing rebuilding the garage. We all ate together and Judy and I were able to sit all of us at one table in our big kitchen and talk and laugh. We were able to talk with our granddaughter Zoe, she is going to be four soon and is now talking so well. We could watch as her face moved so she can form all the words she uses. She said "When I get bigger I will drive here in my new sandals"

Tom Elliott Family,Tom, Stephanie, Danielle, Carole & Benjamin	Benjamin, Stephanie & Danielle
Greg Wheeler's family, Jacqueline, Greg Linden & Jack	Greg, Pearl, Kim & Judy
Marc & Jasmine Soucier	Norma, Jasmine & Eddie Cheng
Pearl Elliott and Cherie Asmar Pearl is the first of six girls and sadly she died Jan. 7 2016. She married Thomas Elliott in 1968 They had four sons. Thomas, Samuel, Christopher, Daniel. Cherie is in this photo and is the eldest of Margeret and George's two daughters.	This is Peter Wheeler he is the eldest son of Pete and Marie. His wife is Paula
Daniel Janice Elliott's Children. Tristan 6yrs 7M, Alyssa 13M, Isabelle 7days	Kim stands proudly behind Zoe, Alex and John-Paul who is holding Ted. Had I died in the tornado there wouldn't be Kim and there wouldn't be these children. They are so delightful I just can not imagine that reality.

This is Margaret, the second of six girls. She married my brother-in-law George I Asmar. He is Judy's older brother. They had two daughters Cherie and Tammy. Tammy has one daughter Cheyenne.	This is Janet and Ron Drummond. Janet is the last of six girls and as I write this in June 2017 she is doing very well with her work and with helping our Mum's legal work as Mum is now 95 and due to memory issues can not care for her legal matters. Janet has two children by a previous marriage, Dianna and Andrew.	One very big event in the Wheeler family is how our Mum went on the be an Ordained Anglican Priest following the death of our Dad in 1980. This page is about who we have touched and what is different because we did not die in that big tornado. Well no one has touched more than our Mum. Here we are at a reunion in 2007 and Mum is baptising the first of two children.
	Mum is going about the business of blessing bread and wine to become the Body and Blood of Jesus. making ready for the service at the reunion. This is Daniel Elliott and his daughter  Isabelle Grace.	Paul is the third child in the family. Janet is Paul's second wife and they have a great relationship. Paul had three children by his first wife Ann. They are Amanda, Sarah Ann, and Rebecca
Dave is the youngest of all ten. He was born in April 1966. At this writing Dave drives the big Lake frieghters. Dave and Sue have three boys and at this writing in 2017 they have 1 granddaughter	Now it is Feb 2021 and a lot has changed around the Wheeler family. Peter died of Colon cancer in July 2012, Pearl died in in Jan, 2016  my best friend and love Judy died Dec. 2017 and our Mum died Oct. 2018. Now we are going through a pandemic called Covid 19. It is like the flu but much, much worse.

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