Rebecca Evans, widow of Robert B. Evans, sold the Evans homestead to Carlos Wheeler in October 1905. Wheeler Cemetery was established by Carlos Wheeler upon the death of his wife, Nancy Jane Bundren Wheeler on the date of September 2, 1937. 1.32 acres were set aside for a cemetery on family land that became known as the Wheeler Cemetery in San Antonio and Bexar County.
(Ref: https://farmandranch.omeka.net/exhibits/show/evanshouse/wheelercemetaryplot)
(Ref: Bexar County Deed Records: Volume 1597, Page 607, 1937)
Most of the burials in Wheeler Cemetery have dates from the 1940s decade. At least two plotted burials have dates from the 1940s on them, one from 1942 and one from 1949. Carlos Wheeler was buried at Wheeler Cemetery in 1942.
In the 1950s and 1960s, the cemetery was open to the public despite being on family land. Over time the cemetery became heavily wooded and overgrown with shrub bush. Wheeler Cemetery became overgrown with trees by 1965. The cemetery became even more overgrown in 1966. Apparently the landowners neglected the cemetery.
Find A Grave has Wheeler Cemetery being listed at the location of 7830 East Evans Road. Oddly enough there are not any signs indicating this property is a cemetery of any sort. There is an access cutout road paved with gravel that leads to one of the two gates to this cemetery. That gate is the only gate visible from East Evans Road. Find A Grave has Wheeler Cemetery listed as having “just a handful of graves” in their description of Wheeler Cemetery. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/cemetery/7581/wheeler-cemetery)
The most recent burial recorded at Wheeler Cemetery is Larimore Sewell “Lonnie” Lamberth. Larimore Sewell Lamberth died on November 23, 1987. (Ref: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/143545256/larimore-sewell-lamberth)
The earliest burial recorded at Wheeler Cemetery was Grace A. Wheeler who died on December 27, 1904. What’s interesting about this burial is despite there not being a Wheeler Cemetery on East Evans Road in 1904, her burial was located there. Wheeler Cemetery didn’t come into existence until 1937.
Wheeler Cemetery is located at 7830 East Evans Road, San Antonio, Texas, US 78266.
I’m a Wheeler descendant . Carlos Wheeler is my Great-Great Grandfather..nice to find this article. It’s definitely a hard place to find. I haven’t even set foot on the cemetery property. But I have driven by on Evans road many years ago. Just couldn’t figure out at the time on how to get in to the cemetery. I’ll try again soon! My mother says the grave of the Grace Wheeler was a child of Nancy and Carlos Wheeler.
ReplyDeleteI’m a Wheeler descendant . Carlos Wheeler is my Great-Great Grandfather..nice to find this article. It’s definitely a hard place to find. I haven’t even set foot on the cemetery property. But I have driven by on Evans road many years ago. Just couldn’t figure out at the time on how to get in to the cemetery. I’ll try again soon! My mother says the grave of the Grace Wheeler was a child of Nancy and Carlos Wheeler.
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