Josephine "Jodi" Wheeler

Josephine (Jodi) Wheeler, 80, of Detroit Lakes, MN passed away on Saturday, June 7, 2025, surrounded by her loving children. She had been battling numerous health issues since January of 2025. The compassionate attendants of Hospice of the Red River Valley were brought in to care for her in March of 2025. Jodi’s wishes were to pass at home, surrounded by the sounds of birds, children and family. In that time, sadly, her beloved dog “Pen Pen” also passed on May 5, 2025, and Jodi’s health then took a steep decline.

Jodi was born on August 22, 1944 to Joseph and Josephine (Wilson) Miller in Fargo, ND. She attended Lake Park High School, from which she attained her GED in her later years. She eventually moved to Wisconsin, but then returned to Minnesota in 1967. A single mother of three children, Jodi supported her family through her work at Swifts and Emmanuel Nursing.

She met the love of her life, Roger, in 1969 and married him on October 17, 1970. Her last child (Tolly) was born in 1971, and then had all of her children baptized together where she married Roger; First Lutheran Church.

Jodi and Roger did a lot of traveling together, especially while trucking the open road in their semi. Beyond the adventures of the pavement, they also took a cruise Alaska and traveled to Ireland before Roger passed in 2016. Jodi had no idea, but Roger had made plans and bought tickets to take her to Panama. She found them inside his reclining chair and used them to take a trip to New York City at Christmas time with her daughter Joy in late 2016.

Jodi had numerous longstanding jobs. She worked at Bergen’s Greenhouse for 17 years, after which time she was employed at Ben Franklin in the fabric department (of course). Having spent 13 years with a steady co-worker, Steve, the two of them started the well-known Boys and Girls Thrift Store in Detroit Lakes. She and others laid the foundation for a great community asset that we still treasure to this day. This was Jodi’s last, and perhaps most impactful, work adventure. Unable to just give things away from the store, Jodi would often buy items herself for those less fortunate, out of the pure kindness of her heart.

She had a contagious smile, always plenty of hugs and kisses for everyone, and was known for her huge, loving heart. She had perhaps the biggest collection of elephant memorabilia and glassware anyone could ever imagine…something she’s still recognized for today.

Every spring, the birds would come back to visit her, and she treasured the time she’d spend sitting in her favorite spot on her deck, relishing in their sights and songs.

But more than anything, Jodi loved her family, which included numerous friends…far too many to count.

Jodi is survived by her children, Joy (Dan Yocom), Bob (LeAnn Allen), Mike, William Tolly (Holly); her grandchildren, Nicole Bridgeman, Danny (Leah), Toni, Casey, Tarissa, Shanarra (Jacob), Ryan, Tanner and Ted; her great grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Kennedy (Andrew), Mabel, Brantley, Eleanor, Emmett, Jaqulyn, Tori, William, Waylon, Hadley, and Emmary; her sisters, Donna Kohler, Debbie DeGroat, Connie, Engebretson, and Martha Miller; her brother, Lyle Miller; siter and brother in law; Mary and Tony Valese; as well as numerous nephews and nieces.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Roger (2016); parents, Joseph and Josephine; granddaughter, Jaqulyn Wheeler; mother and father-in-law, Raymond and Marjorie Wheeler; sisters, Beverly Lenz and Bonnie Engleking; sisters in law, Margaret Simonson and Kathy Wheeler; brothers, Frank, Bill, Paul, Larry, Donald, Arnie, Lowell, and Roy; brothers in law, Doug, Wally, Leon and George; and her fur-babies, Pen Pen (Poodle, 16 ½ years) and Scruffy (Cat, 13 years).

A visitation will be held for Jodi on Wednesday, June 18th at David Donehower Funeral Home from 5pm to 7pm. Formal services will be conducted on June 19th at First Lutheran Church beginning with a time of visitation at 11am and funeral at Noon.