LESTER O. WHEATLEY, son of Sumner H. Wheatley, was born in Wisconsin in 1880 and moved to Marne with his family in his youth. He married Emma C. Feldhahm here in 1908 and moved to Washington State, where he served as postmaster of Ritzville for three years. The family returned ot Marne in 1911 and Lester O. Wheatley was employed by Olof Remein. In 1912 they entered into a partnership agreement and continued to operate the general store on the southeast corner of Second and Washington Streets in Marne until 1920, when Mr. Wheatley bought Olof Remein's interest in the business and changed the name to the Wheatley General Store. Lester's sister, Pearl Wheatley, worked in the store from 1911 until her death in 1949; in that year Lester's son Vernon assumed management of the store. Lester O. Wheatley died in Marne in 1950; his wife passed away in 1915. Vernon Wheatley operated the store until 1958, when it closed. Vernon and his wife moved to California. Lester Wheatley's only other child, Ruth, is the wife of Clyde McFadden of Marne.

Transcribed from "The First Century, A History of Marne, Iowa 1875 - 1975", published in 1975, Marne, Iowa: The Marne Centennial Historical Committee, pg. 43. Transcribed (2015) by Cheryl Siebrass and contributed September, 2019.

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