Ethel I. Wherley

Ethel I. Wherley, 98, of Albuquerque, went to be with her Lord on February 7, 2016. She was born May 31, 1917, in Sweetbriar, ND, the eleventh child of twelve, to Isabelle and James West. Ethel was raised on the homestead farm in Sweetbriar, ND. She attended a country school through 8th grade where half of the students were her brothers and sisters. In order to attend high school she hired out as a housekeeper for room and board to a family in Mandan, ND. After high school she attended business college in Michigan. When Pearl Harbor was attacked, she and Floyd Wherley decided to get married. They married on December 21, 1941, and lived at Jefferson Barracks, Missouri, where Floyd was drafted into the Army Air Corp. In 1950, they moved to Albuquerque and both Ethel and Floyd worked for the US Civil Service Commission at Sandia Base. Except for assignments to Okinawa and Dallas they returned to their beloved Albuquerque in 1978 to retire. Ethel worked full time and still maintained a loving home. She enjoyed cooking and especially like baking, sewing, bowling and bridge. She was always involved in her children's activities such as Scouts and Jobs Daughters. She was a Life Member fo Beta Sigma Phi, and Eastern Star and was actively involved in the Immanuel Presbyterian Church. Ethel is preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Floyd; her parents and sisters, Margaret, Bina, Florence, Isabelle, Beth and brothers, James, Omer, Marcus, Clarence, John and Glenn. She is survived by her children, Vannette (Mac) McMillin, Linda (Robert) Harris and Dr. Robert Wherley; her grandchildren, Stacey Sampson, Chris Sampson and Laura (Rich) Larson, Robbie (Michelle) Harris, Debbie (Phil) Rivera, Tanner and Logan Wherley; great grandchildren, Richard and James Espinoza, Nicolas and Jacob Sampson, Tyler Larson, Lauren and Jenna Harris, Gavin and Trevor Pacheco, Lance Rivera and 2 great-great grandchildren. The family invites you to join them in a Memorial/Celebration of Life with a reception following on Friday, February 26, 2016, 2:00 p.m. at La Vida Llena Retirement Community, 10501 Lagrima de Oro Road NE, Albuquerque, NM 87111. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Meals on Wheels Albuquerque, PO Box 92614, Albuquerque, NM 87199 or Peanut Butter and Jelly Family Services, 1101 Lopez SW, Albuquerque, NM 87105.