Louise Dunlap-Wheeler 1931- 2024

Margie Louise Dunlap-Wheeler, 93, transferred from her quarter-century residence in McMinnville, Oregon, to her eternal home on December 11, 2024. Louise, as she was known her entire life, arrived in 1931 on a scorching Fourth of July near Antlers, Oklahoma, as the Great Depression held the nation in its grip. But, as it turns out, depression was not part of her DNA. She always made it her goal to be happy and to spread the joy of the Lord to everyone she met.

Louise was the first-born to Rev. James and Nettie Lankford, and her only sibling, sister Janice Atkins of Hugo, Oklahoma, survives. Also surviving are her daughters, Linda Collins of McMinnville, and Jodi Detrick of North Bend, Washington; and numerous grandchildren and great-grands. She was preceded in death by daughter, Patti Helige; as well as her husband, Hershel Dunlap; and later, Norman Wheeler, to whom she was briefly married before his sudden death.

Louise fostered a lifelong love of learning and specialized in the spoken word, starting as a teenage preacher, teacher, songwriter, and musician. She was a poet and the published author of many articles, including her own 200-plus page biography that she enjoyed sharing with visitors to her home in her last decades of life. An avid reader even in her 90s, she often read at least one book per week with stellar eyesight and insight into what she read. Her favorite book was always the Holy Bible.

In 1947, Louise married her husband of 62 years, Rev. Hershel Dunlap, in Paris, Texas. As ministers with the Assemblies of God, they ministered at churches in Arkansas, Oklahoma, Texas, California, and Oregon over a span of six decades. An eight-year pastorate at the Dayton Assembly of God brought them to Yamhill County in 1969, where they returned to live out the remainder of their days. While doing so, Louise accomplished a lifetime goal of attaining her GED, and spent several years as a Head Start teacher in McMinnville and Newberg.

Louise dearly loved her family and always encouraged them to be the best version of themselves, to love God and love people, as she faithfully did right until the end of her life.

The Memorial Celebration service will be held at 1 p.m. Saturday, January 11, 2025, at Valley Latin Assembly (formerly Dayton Assembly of God Church), 411 Oak St. in Dayton. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Valley Latin Assembly and sent to P.O. Box 1294, McMinnville, OR 97128.