Carol Wheeler

Carol Jean Wheeler, was born on December 5, 1938, in Auburn, Nebraska, to Grace (Witt) and Earl Zorn. She had four sisters - Faye, Lorene, Norma and Evelyn. Carol graduated from Auburn High School and Peru State College, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English.

Carol was married to Dennis Wheeler on January 6, 1957, in Auburn. They had two daughters, Lee and Leslie. In addition to making their home, Carol pursued numerous careers. Among other things, she taught school, she ran restaurants, she sold and appraised real estate and she worked as a loan officer at a bank. Carol and Dennis built numerous businesses in Auburn, including the Wheeler Inn, the Dairy Chef, Wheeler Motels, Iron Kettle Antiques, Wheeler Real Estate, The Country Market, Fin and Feather Sporting Goods and Pioneer Seed. Carol’s efforts were integral to making the family businesses successful. 

The Wheelers founded no-kill animal shelter Hearts United for Animals in the early 1990s as a way to address the needs of homeless and unwanted dogs in the region. HUA became Carol’s life’s work. Under her leadership, Hearts United has grown into a nationally-recognized animal welfare organization that has saved thousands of dogs and cats. 

Until her final days, Carol poured her blood, sweat and tears into the shelter’s mission. Carol and HUA have fought for animals in big ways, like establishing a ground-breaking program to send unwanted puppies to the Northeast where families on waitlists eagerly awaited them, dispatching teams to disaster areas to rescue displaced pets, and buying out abusive puppy mills throughout the Midwest. And Carol devoted herself to animals in countless small ways - coaxing terrified dogs and cats to safety, tending wounds, cleaning up messes of all kinds, bottle-feeding orphaned pups - whatever it took to relieve suffering and improve lives. And the animals knew it. Every dog she encountered, no matter how scared, hurt, or abused, immediately recognized Carol as its savior. 

Carol died peacefully at home on August 17, 2024, with several of her dogs by her side. She is survived by her daughter Lee Wheeler, grandchildren Reb Wheeler and his wife Nancy, Vanessa Justus, Blake Justus, Jessica Nerison and her husband Gary, Jarrod Justus and Ethan Justus and wife Robin, and great-grandchildren Ella, Ava, Maren, Brookleynn, Nolan, Millie, Jonathan, Christopher, Alexander, Leslie and Skylar. Her beloved husband, Dennis, predeceased Carol on July 30, 2024. And daughter Leslie passed away in 2014. Carol will also be missed by her numerous nieces and nephews, sister-in-law Patricia Lunzmann, the entire HUA community, her many other friends, and too many dogs and cats to count.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, August 29, 2024, from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. at Hemmingsen Funeral Home in Auburn.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Hearts United for Animals at www.hua.org/donate/.