Frederick H Wheeler

Frederick Wheeler North Country Business Leader, World War II vet dies Frederick H. Wheeler, 15 Hampshire Street, Plattsburgh, NY died in Fletcher Allen Medical Center, Burlington, Vt. surrounded by his family on Tuesday, July 7th after a brief illness. He was 85. Mr. Wheeler was a North Country pioneer, forming Wheeler Precision Machining in Harrisville, NY in 1960. One of his early customer's was Gouverneur Iron Works, who had just purchased a snowplow line. He became associated with John Rouse and Howard Lechler, the principles in Governeur Iron Works, which later became a division of Cives Corporation. In 1965 he merged his company with the Viking Snow Plow product line and he became the President and General Manager of the new corporation, known as Harrisville Manufacturing Corporation. By the early 70's the corporation had won several large state contracts and the employment level had grown to nearly 80 men year round. The corporation was a major boost for Lewis and St. Lawrence counties, an area that had been economically depressed for years with mill and mine closings. In 1973 Mr. Wheeler was recognized as the New York State Small Business Association's "Small Business Man of the Year" winner. When the corporation was purchased by Cives Corporation in 1979, the corporation became know as Viking Cives. Mr. Wheeler stayed with the new corporation for six additional years and helped build the Mount Forest, Ontario manufacturing facility where he was that divisions first President and worked in market expansion efforts in the far west. Today Viking Cives is one the leaders in the North American snowplow market. Mr. Wheeler is recognized as the founder. Mr. Wheeler was born on September 17, 1923 the son of Louis and Alethea Saunders Wheeler in Frankfort, NY. His family moved often during his early years, living in the Utica, Syracuse, Pulaski and Sackets Harbor areas. In his high school years he was also was an apprentice tool and die market with his father. He enlisted in the Navy in 1942 and was a member of the Seabees, stationed in Pearl Harbor throughout World War II were he worked in an instrument repair shop repairing bore sighting and installing gun sights on the Navy's fleet of battleships. After the war he worked for Jones & Laughlin Steel in Star Lake prior to his starting own business. Mr. Wheeler married Dorothy Peterson, daughter of Conrad and Lalah Rose Peterson in Harrisville on February 14, 1943, and they enjoyed their 65th anniversary in 2008. She passed away on December 28, 2008. They lived in Harrisville for 38 years prior to his retirement. He was a member of the Harrisville Board of Education for two decades, and a strong supporter of higher education. They were avid golfers and after he retired, they moved to Sun and Lakes Country Club in Sebring, Florida. They were members of the Harrisville United Methodist Church, Carlowden Country Club, and Sun & Lakes Country Club. Mr Wheeler was a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, the Masonic Lodge in Harrisville and the Shrine Club in Tampa, Florida. Mr. Wheeler is survived by a son and daughter in law, Greg and Merry Lee Wheeler, Fort Mill, S.C., a daughter, Carol Latinville of Plattsburgh, NY and six grandchildren and10 great grandchildren. The grandchildren are Mrs. Robert (Kimberly) Gisotti, Clifton Park, NY, Mrs John (Darcy) Cavalline, Manlius, NY, Miss Jillian Wheeler, Baltimore, Md., Mr. Zachery Latinville, Plattsburgh, NY and Mrs. Glenn (Hillary) Engstrom, Peru, NY. Mr. Wheeler is also survived by a sister, Eleanor Sherron, of Monroe, NC, a brother Edward, of North Carolina, a brother and sister in law Dick and Pat Wheeler, Brewerton, NY and a brother in law, Frederick Schempf of Johnson City, Tennessee. Two sisters, Velma Goode, and Marie Jean Schempf, and a brother Walker predeceased Mr. Wheeler. There will be no calling hours. Memorial services will be held Friday, July 10, 2009 at ?? at Pine Harbour Assisted Living, 15 Hampshire Street, Plattsburgh, New York A funeral service will be held Saturday, July 11, 2009 at ?? at the Harrisville United Methodist Church, Harrisville, New York. Interment will follow in the family plot in the Harrisville Cemetery.