The Wheelers - Part I

I'm writing my family history story Feb 1-28, 2014 The Family History Writing Challenge

It was June 12th a clear sunny summer day and Rex Wheeler had just returned home from his daily walk in the neighborhood.  This was a community where the Wheeler clan had established deep roots and had lived in the same home for 84 years through five generations.  As Rex walked in the house he couldn’t help but to reminisce about the day Medgar Wiley Evers was assassinated.  Fifty years ago to the date, he thought.  On that day, just like today, Rex walked the same route to the same house. He remembered how the news saddened the community.  It was the first time he had ever seen his mother cry.  He felt like he should have cried too, but he was too angry to pursue his grief, so instead he sat in front of the RCA console and watched the news in silence.

When the NAACP Convention came to the city, he walked in the Freedom March and participated in the rally in Grant Park.  He saw Medgar Evers' widow receive the NAACP Spingarn Medal in her husband's honor on July 4, 1963.  Six weeks later, he participated in the March On Washington.  He was only 16 years old at the time, but his parents encouraged him to go because they knew that he would learn the value of sacrifice.  Rex glanced at the clock in the kitchen as he walked through the dining room on his way to the family room.  As he read the time, 2:27 p.m., his mind was quickly brought back to the present day.  It was Elijah’s time now, a time that Rex often looked forward to.