Marilyn Joann (Evers) Wheeler, 87, of Overland Park, KS, died August 23, 2026, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s. On Thursday, August 27, 2026, visitation will begin at 9 a.m. and the Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10:00 a.m. at Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th Street, Overland Park, Kansas 66213. Burial will follow at Resurrection Cemetery, Lenexa, Kansas.
Marilyn was born August 6, 1939, in Abilene, Kansas, as the oldest of four children and was raised by her parents, Lon and Florence (Jones) Evers. She attended Abilene High School and Marymount College in Salina, where she received a teaching degree. She would often tell stories of stopping on her way home from school in Abilene and visiting with Mae Eisenhower, who was the mother of President Ike Eisenhower.
She met her husband Bill at a dance when he was stationed at Fort Riley in 1960. Two weeks later he proposed and she said no. He was then stationed in Japan, and when he was discharged in 1962, he proposed again—this time she said yes. They were married on August 17, 1963, and moved to Indianapolis with Marilyn crying the whole way. Ten months later the first of seven children was born.
They moved to St. Thomas, Virgin Islands, in 1969 to serve in the Peace Corps for three years. They moved back to Northern Virginia in 1972 and were active members of St. Michael’s parish, sold AmWay, and delivered newspapers in an effort to continue sending their children to Catholic schools. In 1984, Bill fulfilled a promise he made to Marilyn and moved back to Kansas, reuniting with Marilyn’s family.
After years of substitute teaching, Marilyn took a job teaching third grade to inner-city children at Bryant Elementary in KCMO once her children finished grade school. She worked there for almost 20 years. Upon retirement they volunteered for Catholic Charities, the Red Cross, and other organizations.
She also, with her husband and sister Jan, put on “Nana Camp” for years. They would have three days of the granddaughters and a different three days for the grandsons. It was a summer event that all the grandchildren looked forward to and still talk about decades later. They learned manners with a fabled “Miss Piggy” that was never seen by anyone outside the walls of Nana Camp. Swimming, marbles, turtles, Zonkers, games, and many other events brought cousins together each year for a lifetime of memories. The Fil-or-bust tournaments still continue and are punctuated by stories of Nana Camp and shared childhood.
The memory of her strength and unbreakable attitude in the face of dementia, her love of music, the small amount of gray hair she had even into her late 80’s and, most of all, the love of her husband, kids and grandkids will survive as this good and faithful servant’s life is celebrated by all who knew her.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband William, sister-in-law Sharon, and daughter-in-law Ashlei Wheeler. She is survived by her children Mark, Kelli (Jeff) Wilson, Mike (Paula), Sean (Susie), Katie (Shannon) Robben, Jason (Katie), and Kristi (Neil) Wilson, along with 26 grandchildren, two step-grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and her brother Richard of Abilene, KS, sister Jan (Dean) of Salina, KS, and brother Dan (Jo) of Beagle, KS.