Utahna Wheeless

October 16, 1928 – March 2, 2024

Utahna Shaw was born October 16, 1928, in Sweetwater, Texas, to Sarah Elizabeth Huckaby Shaw and William Washington Green (Pete) Shaw, who died when Utahna was 3 years old. Utahna, her mother, and infant brother lived with relatives in various places until her mother was reunited with an old flame, William “Bill” Edward Davis. Bill and Elizabeth went on to have two more children. After living for several years in Midland, California, they moved to Austin, Texas, where Utahna attended and graduated from Austin, High School. She studied piano at The University of Texas, and from there attended and graduated from Nixon-Clay business college with a diploma in stenography and office management. At Nixon-Clay Utahna met Thomas “Tommy” Oren Wheeless, a WWII veteran, who was there learning bookkeeping.

Utahna and Tommy were married in Austin, Texas on November 16, 1946, and a year and six days later had their first of six children. In 1950 Tommy and Utahna moved to Copperas Cove, Texas, where they were members of the First Baptist Church until 1960. At that time Utahna became the church pianist at the newly formed First Baptist Mission, which later became Robertson Avenue Baptist Church.

When her youngest child started school, Utahna returned to the work force where she began as a clerk-typist, and later trained for and became a Medical Transcriptionist. Utahna worked at Darnell Medical Center in what is now named Fort Cavazos until she retired at age 65. From there she returned to work as a transcriptionist at what is now Advent Hospital in Killeen, where she continued until she was well into her 70’s.

At the age of 10 Utahna dedicated her life to service to God through music and the piano. Throughout her lifetime, Utahna was continuously in service to the church in many capacities. The Sunday before her death, as was her custom, Utahna was in church teaching her beloved Sunday School class of many years.

Utahna is preceded in death by her husband, Tommy, daughter Joann Wheeless, and one great granddaughter. She is survived by her children, Utahna Elizabeth Hancock and husband Sam Hancock, Sarah Jean Wheeless, and husband Patrick Williams ,Thomas Oran Wheeless Jr. and wife Jamie Wheeless, Mark Edward Wheeless and wife Monika Wheeless, and Karen Lynn Bell; a sister, Billie Nordstrom. She also leaves behind 21 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren.

Her Celebration of Life ceremony will be at Robertson Avenue Baptist Church in Copperas Cove Tx Saturday March 16 at 2:30 pm