Carey Lee Wileman

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Created on Thursday, 19 January 2017 12:43

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Carey Lee Wileman

Carey Lee Wileman, 82, former resident of Fort Scott, Kansas, more recently of Sitka, died December 24, 2016, in the Sitka Community Hospital Long Term Care Unit due to complications from multiple myeloma.

 She was born May 1, 1934, at Mercy Hospital in Fort Scott to Elva and Alice Carey (Wood) Shackelford, the last of the couple’s six children. She married Melvin W. Wileman of Stotesbury, Mo., on July 4, 1953.

Carey Lee grew up on the family farm near Stotesbury, Mo. At a young age, her brother Robert and brother- in-law Earl Shelton taught her woods craft and hunting skills. This led to her being assigned, in addition to her many other farm chores, the tracking of the family’s hen turkeys to find where they were laying their clutches of eggs in the woods, so they could be brought back to the house for incubation.

She was an accomplished horse woman. Her favorite horse “Dynamite” was a gift from her sister Rosalie Stout.

Some of Carey’s fondest memories of life on the farm were summers her nephews from Southern California would visit and she would teach them the rural way of life, teaching always with kindness, compassion and humor.

She loved to catch and eat fish, supplementing the family table with bounty from the Little Osage River that ran through the farm. Her love of fishing lasted a lifetime, as in later years she made numerous trips to Sitka to fish for halibut and salmon. Carey’s normally calm, unflappable demeanor changed abruptly with a salmon on her line, she would laugh joyously and “talk” the fish all the way to the net. On the occasion a sea lion would steal her catch, she would uncharacteristically exhibit her seldom-seen wrath upon the creature, and had she followed through with her threats she most certainly would have been guilty of severe violations of the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Carey loved to listen and dance to country western music. She was an accomplished cook and baker. Her chocolate pie was the most requested dish at family gatherings.

Carey attended grade school in Stotesbury and graduated early from Hume, Mo., High School. She moved to Fort Scott, and worked for Western Insurance Company until her marriage. The couple settled in Stotesbury, but relocated to Southern California in 1956, where Carey worked most notably for American Savings and Loan.

In 1960 a move took her  to Southern Arizona, where she obtained a security clearance and worked at a U.S. Navy Surveillance and Tracking Station during the early days of manned space flight. Relocating in 1964 to northwest New Mexico, Carey began her career as an office manager in the trucking industry and was employed by such firms as Whitfield, ICX, and RAC Transport.

In 1989 she moved back to her birthplace, Fort Scott. She enjoyed semi-retirement and made life-long friends while working and volunteering in Fort Scott. She absolutely adored spending time with her nieces, nephews, grand- and great-grand nieces and nephews.

Carey came to Sitka in 2014 for health reasons.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 49 years, Melvin W. Wileman in 2002; parents Elva and Alice Carey Shackelford; and siblings Jessie Shelton, Rosalie Stout, Earle Shackelford, Robert Shackelford, and Anna Marie Endicott.

Carey is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Charles and Jammie Wileman of Sitka; grandson James (Shannon) Wileman of Anchorage;  granddaughter Melissa (Tom) Henshaw of Sitka; four great-grandchildren, Max Henshaw, Alyssa Henshaw, Camryn Wileman and Oliver Wileman; sister-in-law, Catherine Shackelford; and nieces Betty Graham, Amy Boyd, Linda Lee of Fort Scott and Carey Mooney of Nevada, Mo.

Many other beloved nieces, nephews, grand- and great-grand nieces and nephews also survive.

Funeral services were held Jan. 11, 2017, at the Cheney Witt Chapel in Fort Scott. A graveside service followed at East Liberty Cemetery, Stotesbury.

Memorial donations in Carey’s name may be made to: Care to Share/Sharing Bucket P.O. Box 133, Fort Scott, KS 66701.

The family expressed appreciation to: Robert C. Hunter, M.D., for his knowledge and compassionate care, above and beyond; Sitka Community Hospital’s Home Health Care Team and Long Term Care Unit Team for their expert care and advice; Center for Community staff and wonderful care givers for support and care; Brave Heart Volunteers for education and visitation; Janet Vidad, Can, for all her compassionate care; Care to Share/Sharing Bucket for always remembering; and Cindy Litman, Nancy Barge, Judi Blankenship, Brandy Peer, Barbara Arndt, Anna Winters, Lureen Stedman, Richelle Murphy and Dawna Bell for visitation.

Carey lived her life honestly, lovingly and with caring, her family said.

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