Colleen Wheeler, 76, of Anamosa, formerly of Exira, died Monday, April 24, 2023, at University Hospital, Iowa City, following an extended illness.

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, May 25, 2023, at Kessler Funeral Home in Exira with interment in the Exira Cemetery.  Friends may call from 10-11 a.m. before the services.   Goettsch Funeral Home, Monticello, has taken Colleen and her family into their care.

Surviving is her daughter, Jennifer (Todd) Husmann, two grandchildren, Christina (Clayton Niehaus), and Kyle Husmann, five great-grandchildren, Casen, Cecilia, Callie, Scarlett and Sage Niehaus, and her brother, Steve Bauer. She was preceded in death by her parents.

Colleen Ann Wheeler was born March 26,1947, at the Audubon Hospital, Audubon, Iowa. She was the daughter of Melvin and Fern Christensen, Bauer.  Colleen graduated from Exira High School in 1965.  She went on to attend UNI in Cedar Falls. Colleen married Kenneth Wheeler Jr. on December 30, 1965.  She worked at Wheeler Distributing.  The couple later divorced in 1974. Colleen then went to work for the Audubon Phone Company for 20 years where she was a service coordinator.  In retirement, she helped Jennifer with her family and helped take care of her parents.

Colleen was baptized and confirmed at the Exira Lutheran Church.  While in high school she was active in 4H, choir, and band, playing the saxophone.  She won the South West Iowa DAR award as a senior.  Later in life, she enjoyed decorating her home and spending time with her family, especially her beautiful great-grandchildren. Colleen had two amazing nurses who were also her special friends, Kris Peet and Brandee Gerdes, and her grandson, Kyle, all helping take care of her, the past three years.