Megan E. Wheeler

When we moved to Creighton, Mo in 1985 my family was the outsiders. We made good friends over the years and it was a great place to raise kids. Megan on the other hand grew up as part of the community. She went through school with the same friends. She played T-ball and softball with the same friends. She was involved in school events with these friends. She loved doing cheerleading. She would talk with everyone. It didn’t matter if they were cool kid or the quite kid, the athlete or the scholar, these were friends for life. Megan liked anything to do with the outdoors. She liked anything to do with animals. She enjoyed working with horses and was happy she was able to show horses as a young woman. She had a few horses over the years. As a young lady she was fortunate to have friends with large property and would sometimes spend long hours riding. She said she was able to tell the horse all her secrets and would spend time drawing in her sketch pad.
Megan learned from early age that she could do anything. The more someone told her why she couldn’t do something the more determined she was to do it. She would tackle working on a car or building anything. Nothing was off limits or a “man” thing. This served her well over the years. Megan was very involved with girl scouts as a youngster. In later years she volunteered as a girl scout leader and was very involved with Nicole’s scouting. Megan volunteered as a boy scout leader and was very involved with Christopher’s scouting.
As a mom she was a great one. The kids always came first. She wasn’t always able to give them everything they wanted but always gave them everything they needed, even if it meant she went without. She would teach by example. She tried to instill responsibility in her kids while also trying to keep things fun. Always looking for a new project or an activity to do with the kids. Sometime this was as simple as splashing in the mud or looking for creatures in a pond. Sometimes it was as studying funny looking bugs or teaching respect for living things from baby birds to snakes. One of her favorite activities was movie night with the kids.
Megan went through some challenging times over the past few years as they worked through a breakup and divorce. During this time, she tried to highlight the positive with her kids and keep them shielded from the negative side.
Megan was able to meet someone special. Billy and Megan found love in each other. They were looking forward to a wedding next spring. Both families had been through the hard times related to divorce and had come together as one. Megan loved all of the kids as if they were all hers. In her mind they were. Megan was the happiest she had been in years looking forward to the life they were building. Megan was strong willed. She would help anyone she could overcome their challenges. She didn’t always have material things to give but always gave whatever support she could. Megan would accept help from others when needed but not expect it or rely on it.
Megan was a bright light. In her short life she had touched many people. She was dedicated to kids. Her kids, Billy’s kids, her nieces and nephews, her friend’s kids, she cared for them all. The last few days have shown how many people’s life’s were touched by Megan. The response from our community, the support of our community and from our family has been tremendous and is a testament to Megan. Megan was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Harrisonville.
Megan will be missed by a lot of people. She will be missed by her kids. I just hope they come to realize what a special person Megan was and how much she meant to everyone. I hope they know that she is always part of them. From the foundation she built within them they can be anything they wish. They can do anything they set their mind to. She will be missed by her family. She will be missed by her brother. She will be missed by her friends. That bright star will still be there when needed. Just look up. She will be missed by her mother. Their relationship was growing stronger all the time. She will be missed by her father. She was not only my daughter, she was the best of me, she was my friend and I miss her dearly.
Megan was preceded in death by a brother, Christopher Norman Wheeler; maternal grandparents, Norman A. Wells; paternal grandparents, Stephen M. and Peggy A. Wheeler.
She is survived by her fiancé, Billy Goben; three daughters, Nicole Lynn Plato, Isabelle Michelle Renee Goben, Natilee Clarice Goben; two sons, Christopher Norman Plato and Isaac William Goben all of the home; her parents, Lance and Sharon Wheeler, St. Clair, Missouri; a brother, Daniel Conrad Wheeler and girlfriend, Sierra, Higginsville, Missouri; maternal grandmother, ReGina Wells, St. Clair, Missouri; many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and many friends.
Funeral services were held, Wednesday, September 28, 2016 at the Dickey Funeral Home, Harrisonville, Missouri.
Graveside service will be 10:30 a.m., Thursday, September 29, 2016 at the Memorial Park Cemetery, Kansas City, Kansas.
Family suggests memorial contributions may be made to the Megan Wheeler Memorial Fund, c/o Sherwood Bank in Harrisonville, Garden City, Creighton or Urich, Missouri Locations.