Wheatley
Daniel "Danny" Aaron Wheatley (b: 23 Jul 1973 Baton Rouge, LA; m: 6 Aug 1994 Mackenzie Lari' Harrison)
Canon Wheatley, Mackenzie Harrison, Klein Wheatley, Danny Wheatley
Daniel Aaron Wheatley ("Danny") was born to Thomas Edward Wheatley and Frances Geraldine Cochran July 23, 1973, in Baton Rouge and spent early years in outside Baton Rouge in Prarieville, Louisiana. Danny went to Dutchtown Elementary, First Assembly Academy, and Victory Academy for elementary and middle schools. Early years were filled with helping with yard work, playing with Legos, playing sports and riding bikes with neighborhood boys, and just getting into normal boy trouble. High school year activities included leading church youth group worship team, working in a tuxedo rental shop and a photographer assistant, and graduating from Baton Rouge Magnet High School in 1991. Danny enrolled at LSU as a mechanical engineering student and commuted while living at home. During LSU, Danny got work experience working a co-op with Entergy switching four semesters between LSU and work, which proved valuable when looking for a job after graduation. Danny also proposed and married Mackenzie Lari' Harrison August 6, 1994 and finally graduated in spring of 1997. After accepting a job offer from Chevron's Cedar Bayou Plant, Danny and Mackenzie moved to Baytown, Texas in July 1997. With new found freedom of jobs and money and no study required, Danny and Mackenzie enjoyed the Houston, Texas life by eating at world class restaurants, traveling, riding bikes, actively participating in
worship at Heights Vineyard Church. Klein Sebastian Wheatley was born in Houston (TX) November 27, 2001 and Canon Grace Wheatley was born in Humble (TX) December 15, 2003. Danny's career focused around turnaround projects and new construction projects, which led to assignments in Belgium, Qatar, Paris, and Seoul. The Wheatley family enjoys travelling and exploring new cultures, wake surfing, enjoying quality beer/wine, home improvement projects, grilling, and generally enjoying life.
Siblings of Danny Wheatley are:
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Anna Elizabeth Wheatley (b: 3 Jan 1975 Baton Rouge, LA; m: Russel English 5 Jan 1996(divorced)): Anna graduated from Baton Rouge High School and LSU and continues to reside in Baton Rouge while working as a security specialist for Engineering Companies. Kids with Rusty include Ashley Rebekah English, Alex Claleb English, and Andrew Joshua English. She is known by nieces and nephews as Aunt Honey and is always down for fun (Destin, yard parties, convertible cars, etc.).
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Deborah Ruth Wheatley (b: 18 May 1978 Baton Rouge, LA; m: Adam Hogan 6 Jul 2001 (divorced); m: Todd Wayne Clayton 29 Jul 2011): Deborah graduated from Baton Rouge High School and LSU and currently resides in Zachary (LA) and has managed crisis pregnancy center and currently supports a local custom home builder. Kids with Adam include Joshua Daniel Hogan, Isaac David Hogan and Sophia Lynn Hogan. Kids with Todd include Elliott Hudson Clayton as well as step children Austin Shane Clayton, Caleb Michael Clayton, Cody Wayne Clayton, and Matthew Tyler Clayton. In addition to this large family, Deborah and Todd have lovingly invited many foster children into the family. Deborah loves to host holiday and pool parties as well as supporting their kids many endeavors.
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Abigail Joanna Wheatley (b: 15 Oct 1981 Baton Rouge, LA; m: Wallace Grant Guerin 5 Mar 2005): Abigail graduated from Baton Rouge High School and LSU with a degree in chemistry and currently manages an environmental testing laboratory in Baton Rouge. Kids with Grant include Breanna Rae Guerin and Beverly Lizzette Guerin. Abigail was a voracious reader as a kid and stays busy raising two beautiful girls.​
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Rachel Susanna Wheatley (b: 2 Oct 1983 Baton Rouge, LA; m: Kevin David Cutforth 2 Nov 2016): Rachel graduated from Baton Rouge High School and attended Southeastern Louisiana University and currently resides in Baton Rouge (LA). Rachel was a retail manager for Hallmark and Brookstone and currently working in the insurance business. Rachel and Kevin have the youngest Wheatley family members, Henry Houdini Cutforth (who is named after getting them out of the family Christmas Eve play) and Daisy Gwenivere Cutforth. Rachel is the artist of the family who also enjoys parties, dancing, comic-con, etc.
Wheatley siblings: Deborah, Anna, Rachel, and Abigail
Mackenzie Lari' Harrison (b: 3 Apr 1974 Okeechobee, FL; m: Daniel Aaron Wheatley 6 Aug 1994) Mackenzie is the daughter of Jacquelyn Rene' Lipe (b: 6 Sep 1954 Cleveland, MS) and Barney Ray Jenkins (absent father). Mackenzie spent her childhood in Belzoni and Jackson Mississippi and moved to Baton Rouge near high school years where she graduated from Bethany Christian School, a small private/Christian school in Baker LA, in 1993. Mackenzie took a "gap year" and worked with missionaries in Mexico (Freedom Ministries founded by David Hogan) before coming back to Baton Rouge where she earned degrees in English, History, and Education from LSU in 1996 while working as an office manager for a small business. After a couple of years teaching in Baton Rouge and Houston, Mackenzie transitioned to mother to Klein and Canon while also starting a successful photography business originally named chubbyfoot, that has now transitioned to www.hellomackenzie.com
Mackenzie Lari Harrison
​Thomas “Tommy” Edward Wheatley (b: 8 May 1948 St. Louis, MO; m: 9 Aug 1969 Frances Geraldine Cochran)
Thomas Edward Wheatley was born in St. Louis, Missouri to Lester Edward Wheatley and Elma Ruth Kolb Wheatley, but early as a kid, moved to the Northern Louisiana area (Holly Ridge/Monroe) with mother when his parents split up. As a kid, there were many fond memories of extended visiting time at Granddaddy and Mamma Kolb’s farm and house like getting the cows, playing “house,” using Dr. Tichenor’s bottles as toy cars on oak tree roots, slaughtering farm animals to eat, leaving water in the hand pump to get the prime going, climbing and picking fig trees, etc.). One memory was that sometime around 7thgrade, Tommy came home from summer with Aunt Sybil and found his mother and step-father Billy had moved a couple of blocks without notifying…kind of an eerie feeling not knowing where your family was. Thomas started high school at Ouachita Parish High School for the first two years and remembers eating lunch and hearing the announcement that Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. Tommy met some high school sorority girls (Mary Lou Reljac, Marilyn Daigle, and Sherry Ushery) from Neville High School and decided to switch schools, although it meant a longer bus ride (girls drove many of his youthful decisions). In May 1966, he graduated from Neville High School and remembers having a red, manual transmission Chevrolet Corvair that he loved. To start as a math major at Louisiana State University (LSU), Tommy moved to Baton Rouge in August 1966, living near Bon Marche with father-in-law Billy and mother Elma Ruth and later moving off Nicholson Drive near Pastime Bar. He got mono the first semester freshman year at LSU and had to drop out of ROTC (took in future semesters) and remembers working at Food Town, a local grocery. Unfortunately, early in 1967, the red Chevrolet Corvair engine died and Tommy just
Thomas Edward Wheatley
left in the road and walked away…bought a Chevy Impalla and burnt the transmission and hadTommy Wheatley 1982 replaced with a manual transmission. Tommy was setup on a blind date by friend Marilyn Daigle with her LSU roommate, Frances Geraldine Cochran sometime in March or April 1967. Marilyn was doing Tommy a favor by going to the ROTC ball with him, but made the arrangements with Geraldine because Marilyn’s fiancé, Butch Lee and good friend of Tommy, was coming in town. Soon after Tommy and Geri started regular dating, even having pet names of “Dee” and “Charlie” for each other. The mode of transportation during this time was a Honda motorcycle that he rode all thru dating Geri. In August 1968, Tommy asked Jack Cochran for permission to marry Geri who asked, “how are you going to support her?” Jack liked Tommy because he was working his way to school and could appreciate that, but just wanted both to finish school before getting married. The answer was that he had a cashier job at A&P grocery so Jack said…”why don’t you wait a bit…” but eventually Tommy proposed in December 1968. Mother Elma Ruth was working as a switchboard operator at Channel 9 WAFB and helped Tommy get a job in January 1969 at $2.50/hour as a floor man to move lights, countdown to being online, film editor, etc. working for shows like Buckskin Bill, 6pm news, 10pm news, and commercials. At this point, he knew for sure he could for sure afford marriage and even bought a brand new Opel Kadett for $1600. During this time in 1969, Tommy remembers living in multiple places…a trailer with Elma Ruth, with sister Cheryl and Wayne off Briar Cliff near Highland Road, then with sister Barbra, and then good friend Butch Lee.
Tommy and Geri married in August 1969 in Bunkie, Louisiana. December 1, 1969, Tommy got a draft number of 321 out of 365, but never officially got drafted for the Vietnam War. Geri graduated from LSU December 1969 and started teaching while Tommy continued school. They were both attending Southern Methodist Church in Brownfield, Louisiana with friends when Geri made a commitment to Christ Easter of 1970 while talking with Mamma Kolb. At this point, Hungry for one last bowl of Fruit Loops or Appendicitus 2010both started attending a Church of Christ at the LSU student center. Tommy graduated winter of 1970 with Bachelor of Science in Accounting. With this degree, Tommy got a job with A.A. HARMON & CO. in New Orleans, but got lost on the first day of work and decided he could not work in New Orleans. So, he found a job and started an accountant position at Cosmar on January 3, 1971. Cosmar was a styrene plant in Carville, Louisiana that was a joint venture between Cosden Oil & Chemical and Borg-Warner's Marbon Chemical Division. In 1971, Tommy and Geri bought their first house in Baton Rouge at 4788 Idlewood Drive during the middle of night, not noticing it needed “some work” and later moved to 1433 S. Potwin Drive. Around 1977, they designed and built a one story, white brick house on Miller Road in Prairieville, Louisiana on ~two acres of land. The house had a big sand pile, long curvy driveway, lots of trees for planters and woods and treehouse, large garden, burn pile, bamboo groves, etc. with great spaces for young kids Daniel Aaron, Anna Elizabeth, Deborah Ruth, Abigail Joanna, and Rachel Susanna to explore and play (or in Deborah’s case…”kick the cat.” Somewhere around 1978 or 1979, both Tommy and Geri were asked to leave Baton Rouge Church
of Christ as Geri had received the Baptism with the Holy Spirit. The church leadership led a six-week study with Tommy and Geri where they tried to convince them it was female emotions. Tommy was mostly there to defend Geri because he knew she was not emotional, but both became more convinced by the “study” and were ultimately asked to leave. They started attending Victory Bible Fellowship (later named Victory Harvest Church) off Flannery Road by being introduced to tapes of services from sister in law Jane Cochran who was living with them between marriages. Tommy quit Cosmar in summer of 1981 because of a “jerk boss.” Talks were that many would announce quitting to try and get the boss moved out, but in the end, he was the only one that quit, and so he moved on without a firm plan for a next job. Geri remembers being pregnant with Abigail at that time and visiting the charity hospital, Earl K. Long Hospital in Baton Rouge and crying with hospital workers because theyTommy and Geri Wheatley 2016 did not have insurance, but were not yet unemployed long enough to qualify for any benefits. For the summer of 1981, Tommy made some needed cash by helping friend and carpenter Leroy Ash build houses…hauling lumber, setting up, etc. In September 1981, Tommy gained employment with Entergy at River Bend Nuclear Generating Station in St. Francisville, Louisiana, helping build the accounting department for the new plant. Tommy and Geri moved the family in April 1985 to 14701 Avalon Ave. off of Millerville Road to get closer to church and school activities. This was a brick, one-story, ranch style home with a swimming pool where Geri taught swimming in the summer and family gathered for BBQ and swimming parties. Leroy Ash helped renovate by enclosing the carport into an office/bedroom/bathroom/laundry/shed which kept Danny on that wing of the house and the four girls in the original wing. Tommy retired from Entergy River Bend Nuclear Plant in
2003 and started a home renovation and handy man business called Redeeming Properties, buying and remodeling several homes in the East Baton Rouge area. Sold most of the homes during the aftermath of 2005 Hurricane Katrina when the market got hot with people from New Orleans and workers needing homes. From that point, Tommy worked here and there with some handy man type jobs with Redeeming Properties, but mostly lived the retired life. Tommy and Geri downsized homes during retirement to 4312 Blue Ribbon Dr. between Baton Rouge and Central, Louisiana. Tommy and Geri were extremely generous with time and money, putting their beliefs in action with the Pro-life movement and housing several un-wed mothers until they could support themselves, hosting French exchange students with France teacher Marie Moirignot, leading as elders of the Victory Bible Fellowship and youth group Dayspring with Mike Cooper and Ron Ericson (who they eventually help plant church Future Hope in Central, Louisiana). Activities that they enjoyed included serving Christ in fellowship at Victory Bible Fellowship and Future Hope,
Thomas Edward Wheatley
Hungry for Fruit Loops or Appendicitis? 2010
Tommy & Geri Wheatley 2016
supporting and loving their family, travelling by cruise boat, gardening, ball room dancing, supporting LSU sports (especially football), and watching movies. Tommy and Geri survived the August 2016 Louisiana Flood where they saw four feet of water inside their Blue Ribbon house, losing most contents, and taking 7+ months to rebuild back from studs and concrete with the help of family, friends, and contractors. Sibling of Thomas Edward Wheatley include:
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Cheryl Ann Wheatley (b: 12 Oct 1945 St. Louis, MO; m: Wayne Hazlewood)
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Barbara Jean Wheatley (b: 19 Feb 1950; m1: Joseph Wallace; m2: Roy Dennis Johnsen)
Siblings: Barbara Jean, Thomas Edward, and Cheryl Ann Wheatley
Lester Edward Wheatley (b: 7 Sep 1924 St. Louis, MO; m1: Elma Ruth Kolb 3 Feb 1945; m2: Dorthy Lucille Surface 26 Jan 1952; d: 21 Nov 2007 Pacific, MO)
Young Lester Wheatley
Lester Edward Wheatley (only child) was born in St. Louis, Missouri, to parents David E. Wheatley and Pearl Reidt. During WWII, Lester was in the Army Air Corps as a bombardier on B-25s. He hated landings because he was in the nose. Lester did not serve overseas as WWII ended before he was shipped out.
Lester met Elma Ruth met when he was stationed in Louisiana for WWII (never saw overseas duty) and returned back in St. Louis after the war where they had kids Cheryl Ann in 1946, Thomas Edward in 1948, and Barbra Jean in 1950.
Elma Ruth Kolb & Lester Wheatley
Not long after Barbra was born, Lester had an affair with Dorotha “Dot” Lucille Surface, who was a secretary at the auto dealership where Lester was employed as an accountant, so Elma Ruth moved with her kids back home to family in Rayville, Louisiana. Lester and Dot started a family in St. Louis with Judy Wheatley (Jul 13, 1953) and Lester “Dandy” Edward Wheatley Jr. (May 24, 1955). Judy had a quilting business with mother Dot in the St. Louis area and is married to Jim Devries who is a carpenter. Lester Jr. lives in California. Lester married a 3rdwife, Betty after meeting at a dance club. Betty said Lester was nice, active, and fun, but when Lester got sick at the end of his life, Betty’s kids encouraged them to divorce to protect Betty’s money, but ultimately, they died about a week apart. The end of Lester’s life was in a nursing home in St. Louis where the story was that he even chased the nurses there. Lester ultimately died of blood disease where his body quit making red and white blood cells.
Lester Wheatley & Dorthy Surface Judy Wheatley & Lester "Dandy" Edward Wheatley Jr.
David Edward Wheatley “Grandpa Dave” (b: 16 Dec 1898 St. Louis, MO; m: 19 May 1920 to Pearl Reidt; d: 15 Aug 1973 Ballwin, St. Louis, MO)
Born in 1898, David Edward Wheatley served in World War I. While nothing is known of this time, below he is pictured in uniform on the left.
David Edward Wheatley (left)
Living in St. Louis, Missouri, David drove a potato chip truck for Old Vienna Potato Chip Co. and always had chips, Okie Doke (popcorn), and Circus Peanuts while also remembered to have worked in a candy factory. David had a hobby train set/village in the basement of his garage. Sibling of David Edward Wheatley include:
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Anthony Raymond Wheatley (b: 6 Oct 1887 Millwood, MO; m: Frances Gertrude Flynn 21 Dec 1912; d: 17 June 1949 Philadelphia, PA) Granddaughter Sue Wheatley says Anthony served in the US Navy for 40 years and retired as a Chief Carpenter Mate, which is what brought him from St. Louis to the Philadelphia area. Son, Joseph Robert Wheatley (father to Sue), retired from US Army and AirForce as a full bird COLONEL serving at Shaw Air Force Base in Sumpter, South Carolina.
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Charles Henry Wheatley (b: 1 Feb 1892 St. Louis, MO; m: Phoebie Jane Deffendoll; d: 31 May 1962 Columbus, IN)
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James Ralph Wheatley (b: 9 May 1896 St. Louis, MO; m: Margaret Biermann; d: 8 July 1962 St. Louis, MO)
Pearl Reidt "Grandma" (b: 8 Dec 1900 St. Louis, MO; m: David Edward Wheatley 19 May 1920; d: 3 Dec 1985 Ballwin, MO) Pearl was born to Frederick "Fred" Adolph Reidt (b: 3 Oct 1877 St. Louis, MO; d: 31 Jan 1958 Clayton, MO) and Anna "Annie" Mary Schrieber (b: 30 Sep 1874 St. Louis, MO; d: 31 Jan 1957 St. Louis, MO). Memories from grandkids were having to have a spoon full of milk of magnesia every morning (terrible) and that they had apple trees in back yard that was turned into apple sauce.
Pearl Reidt
Wheatley Family from Maryland to Kentucky to Missouri
There is some family legend (Sue Wheatley) that says that at one point the family owned Wheatley Stables outside of Pikeville, Kentucky that trained/housed Kentucky Derby horses. This hasn't been confirmed as all information shows it was a partnership formed in 1926 by Gladys Mills Phipps and her brother Ogden Livingston Mills and there isn't any information on where the name Wheatley came from. While it does not appear to be one of my ancestors or a sibling, maybe there was an investor, friend, or employee connection to a Wheatley. The following information is still being researched about the Wheatley family:
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James Sterling Wheatley (b: 1865 MO; m: Zoe Shoemaker 26 Oct 1887; d: Nov 1899 St. Louis, MO)
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Anthony Cletus Wheatley (b: 13 May 1826 Covington, KY; m: Amanda Elizabeth Raney 3 Mar 1863; d: 2 June 1901 Millwood, MO) I am still researching why Anthony Cletus moved from Kentucky to Missouri, but likely was part of the continued push to the frontier West. There is no indication that it was with his parents as they died in Kentucky. The first mention of Anthony Cletus in Missouri is in marrying Amanda Elizabeth Raney in 1863 in Lincoln County, MO at the age of 36. Amanda was born in Missouri to the parents of Felix Ruben Raney (grandson of Thomas Edward Riney who was sibling of James L. Wheatley's wife Susannah Riney) and Hannah Morris.
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James L. Wheatley (b: 23 Sep 1759 St. Mary Parish, Charles, MD; m: Susannah Ann Riney 4 Jan 1798 Washington, KY; d: 23 Sep 1842 KY) James was the 2nd of 9 children of James Wheatley and Henrietta Norris. No siblings of James were born in Kentucky which provides evidence that James was the one who moved from Maryland to Kentucky. The first indication of being in Kentucky is Jan 4, 1798 when James married Susannah in Washington County, Kentucky (Washington County was established in 1792 as the first county created by the Commonwealth of Kentucky after it's separation from Virginia). Susannah was the daughter of James Riney and Priscilla Mudd, both of whom were born in Maryland and died in Kentucky, and by looking at Susannah's sibling birth records, appears James & Priscilla Riney moved the family, including Susannah, from Maryland to Kentucky sometime between 1793 and 1796. All of James and Susannah's 10 children were born in Kentucky, including Anthony Cletus Wheatley in 1826 (#10).
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Earlier than this, there hints to a couple of generations being in Colonial Maryland and before that in Colonial Virginia including a Captain John Wheatley that could have immigrated from England in 1641. A lot more research or help is needed in confirming earlier in history.
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