David & Estene Wheeler

David James Wheeler died on June 25th, 2008 at his home in Redding, California at the age of 78. His beloved wife, Estene Wheeler, passed away peacefully in Santa Rosa, CA on March 12, 2009 at the age of 79, surrounded by her family. They are survived by their daughters, Debra and Linda, and their son David Reid, as well as 5 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren.

David was born on January 9, 1930, in Wichita, Kansas to Frank and Irene Wheeler. In 1939, at the age of 9, David sailed with his parents to Canton, China. During the next 3 years, as his parents established a mission and an orphanage, David attended Shameen School, a Catholic, English-speaking school, while at the same time making many Chinese friends. When the Japanese invaded South China, the little family was put under house arrest in 1942, eventually sailing as prisoners-of-war from Shanghai, and exchanged in East Africa.

Estene Caudle was born on May 7, 1930 in Mena, Arkansas to Marion and Ophelia Caudle, one of five children. Her family, including her sister and 3 brothers, worked hard picking cotton, strawberries, and other produce to help the family survive, traveling back and forth along Route 66 from Arkansas to California and places in between. Her father finally found his vocation falling timber in northern California during the years when the mills were a thriving industry there. She grew up beloved by her family and friends, and developed a great thirst for knowledge. She worked as a bookkeeper and secretary after high school, then attended Apostolic Bible College in Tulsa, OK, where she met David Wheeler.

In 1946, 16-year-old David enrolled in Apostolic College in Tulsa, Oklahoma, working the Texas oil fields during the summers to pay tuition. Upon receiving a diploma in 1948, he moved to Indiana and was employed by a trucking company hauling house trailers cross-country. However, he always stopped in at Tulsa and, during one of these visits he met Estene Caudle, a student from California who was attending his alma mater. They were married on June 2, 1951, and left immediately for California in his brand-new 1951 Chevy to begin evangelizing.

In 1959, David and Estene moved to Redding, California with their 2 young daughters, Debra and Linda, and established a church. They pastored for the next 14 years; during this time, David also built a construction business, building homes and business properties around Redding.

During these years, David also pursued his interest in financial planning, which led to the establishment of the Stewardship Department of the United Pentecostal Church. The family moved to St. Louis, Missouri in 1973 where David became director of the newly-formed department. His efforts during the next 3 years laid the groundwork for significant financial growth for the work and ministry of UPCI, which continues today.

In 1976, David, Estene and their family moved to California, assuming a pastorate in Santa Rosa in 1978. A new church facility which he designed and built was dedicated in 1980. After pastoring for 10 years in Santa Rosa, they returned to Redding, where they have lived for the past 18 years.