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'Awesome Parents' Celebrate 50th Wedding Anniversary
James Walter and Barbara Ann Allison Wheeler of Brandon renewed their vows at a celebration of their golden wedding anniversary July 19 at the Tampa Baptist Deaf Church, where Walter is a deacon. The Rev. Ronaldo Feliciano officiated. They were joined by 160 friends and family members.
As part of the festivities, their granddaughter Gabrielle Tatro played harp "for hearing people," Barbara Wheeler said in an interview conducted after the festivities by writing questions and answers on paper. The guests of honor are both deaf.
Barbara Wheeler said they happily invited their granddaughter to perform at the ceremony.
"We wanted her to show her talent," she said.
Barbara, originally of Andrews, N.C., and Walter, of Spencer, Tenn., were high school sweethearts at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville, Tenn. They were married in Knoxville "as soon as I graduated from TSD in 1958," Barbara said. "Walter graduated there in 1957."
They followed Walter's family to Auburndale, where he worked in the printing industry. They moved to Brandon in 1972 to join The Tampa Tribune's composing department. On April 30, 1999, both retired from The Tampa Tribune. Many of their former Tribune co-workers attended the anniversary gala.
The Wheelers' family includes three children: Chief Master Sgt. Paul Wheeler of Andrews Air Force Base, Md., who is married to retired Master Sgt. Maia Wheeler; Suzanne Gomez Branson of Luttrell, Tenn., who is married to Rick Branson; and Marcella Tatro of Casselberry, who is called Mary and is married to Dan Tatro.
The couple also has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Paul and Maia's children, Trevor and Brittany Wheeler, have a daughter, Lily. Suzanne Branson has one son, Jose Gomez, whose father is Rolando Gomez of Valrico. "Rolando is still a big part of my parents' lives," Branson said. The Tatros' daughters are Danielle and Gabrielle.
The Wheelers are proud of their family. Paul Wheeler, who just returned from overseeing 8,000 troops in Iraq, has been awarded two Bronze Stars during 28 years in the Air Force. He joined the service after graduating from Brandon High School. Mary Tatro was Miss Brandon High School and homecoming queen before her graduation in 1986. Jose Gomez played professional soccer for the Virginia Beach Mariners and now is head coach of Palm Beach Atlantic University's men's soccer team.
Suzanne Branson described her mom and dad as "awesome parents that happened to be deaf. They taught us a strong work ethic. ... They were good disciplinarians and held us up to the highest standards morally, socially and academically."
"When we were children," she said, "we had special lighting in the house to let our parents know when someone rang the doorbell or if the telephone rang. ... If a baby was crying or a loud noise erupted, the lights went on in a certain pattern to differentiate the noises.
After the American Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, by using interpreters, video relay, text messaging, computers and other media, people with hearing impairments now have endless opportunities to communicate, she said.
The Wheelers use Sorenson Video Relay Service to communicate by phone and video screen. Their daughter said it is "an amazing service and makes communication so much easier for the deaf."
The calls are free, and it works like this: a hearing person calls an interpreter and speaks a message for a deaf person. The interpreter repeats that message in American Sign Language, which the deaf person sees on a computer screen. Then the deaf person signs back to the interpreter, who speaks that message to the hearing caller.
Branson said communication by sign language has always been second nature for the Wheeler siblings.
"The biggest influence on us was that all of their friends were deaf, so we went to deaf picnics, deaf conventions, deaf holiday parties, deaf church," she said. "We were always around other children who had deaf parents like us. American Sign Language was our first language as children, but we are all well versed in spoken English as well."
Barbara and Walter Wheeler will continue their anniversary celebration by traveling to Smuggler's Notch Resort in Vermont. They "travel bugs" who have visited all but eight mainland U.S. states, their daughter said. And they hope to visit all eight remaining states together, she said.
After 50 years of marriage, the Wheelers have some advice for those about to take their vows. Love and communication are vital, they said; so is going to church every Sunday. They said the secret to their long marriage is having faith in each other.
James Walter and Barbara Ann Allison Wheeler of Brandon renewed their vows at a celebration of their golden wedding anniversary July 19 at the Tampa Baptist Deaf Church, where Walter is a deacon. The Rev. Ronaldo Feliciano officiated. They were joined by 160 friends and family members.
As part of the festivities, their granddaughter Gabrielle Tatro played harp "for hearing people," Barbara Wheeler said in an interview conducted after the festivities by writing questions and answers on paper. The guests of honor are both deaf.
Barbara Wheeler said they happily invited their granddaughter to perform at the ceremony.
"We wanted her to show her talent," she said.
Barbara, originally of Andrews, N.C., and Walter, of Spencer, Tenn., were high school sweethearts at the Tennessee School for the Deaf in Knoxville, Tenn. They were married in Knoxville "as soon as I graduated from TSD in 1958," Barbara said. "Walter graduated there in 1957."
They followed Walter's family to Auburndale, where he worked in the printing industry. They moved to Brandon in 1972 to join The Tampa Tribune's composing department. On April 30, 1999, both retired from The Tampa Tribune. Many of their former Tribune co-workers attended the anniversary gala.
The Wheelers' family includes three children: Chief Master Sgt. Paul Wheeler of Andrews Air Force Base, Md., who is married to retired Master Sgt. Maia Wheeler; Suzanne Gomez Branson of Luttrell, Tenn., who is married to Rick Branson; and Marcella Tatro of Casselberry, who is called Mary and is married to Dan Tatro.
The couple also has five grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Paul and Maia's children, Trevor and Brittany Wheeler, have a daughter, Lily. Suzanne Branson has one son, Jose Gomez, whose father is Rolando Gomez of Valrico. "Rolando is still a big part of my parents' lives," Branson said. The Tatros' daughters are Danielle and Gabrielle.
The Wheelers are proud of their family. Paul Wheeler, who just returned from overseeing 8,000 troops in Iraq, has been awarded two Bronze Stars during 28 years in the Air Force. He joined the service after graduating from Brandon High School. Mary Tatro was Miss Brandon High School and homecoming queen before her graduation in 1986. Jose Gomez played professional soccer for the Virginia Beach Mariners and now is head coach of Palm Beach Atlantic University's men's soccer team.
Suzanne Branson described her mom and dad as "awesome parents that happened to be deaf. They taught us a strong work ethic. ... They were good disciplinarians and held us up to the highest standards morally, socially and academically."
"When we were children," she said, "we had special lighting in the house to let our parents know when someone rang the doorbell or if the telephone rang. ... If a baby was crying or a loud noise erupted, the lights went on in a certain pattern to differentiate the noises.
After the American Disabilities Act was passed in 1990, by using interpreters, video relay, text messaging, computers and other media, people with hearing impairments now have endless opportunities to communicate, she said.
The Wheelers use Sorenson Video Relay Service to communicate by phone and video screen. Their daughter said it is "an amazing service and makes communication so much easier for the deaf."
The calls are free, and it works like this: a hearing person calls an interpreter and speaks a message for a deaf person. The interpreter repeats that message in American Sign Language, which the deaf person sees on a computer screen. Then the deaf person signs back to the interpreter, who speaks that message to the hearing caller.
Branson said communication by sign language has always been second nature for the Wheeler siblings.
"The biggest influence on us was that all of their friends were deaf, so we went to deaf picnics, deaf conventions, deaf holiday parties, deaf church," she said. "We were always around other children who had deaf parents like us. American Sign Language was our first language as children, but we are all well versed in spoken English as well."
Barbara and Walter Wheeler will continue their anniversary celebration by traveling to Smuggler's Notch Resort in Vermont. They "travel bugs" who have visited all but eight mainland U.S. states, their daughter said. And they hope to visit all eight remaining states together, she said.
After 50 years of marriage, the Wheelers have some advice for those about to take their vows. Love and communication are vital, they said; so is going to church every Sunday. They said the secret to their long marriage is having faith in each other.