Danielle L. Wheat, 48, of Hartford City, passed away on Tuesday morning, Aug. 4, 2026, at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne.
Danielle was born on May 29, 1978, in Portland to Thomas Wheat and Sherri (Boyle) Zook. She attended Huntington North High School. She worked for Saf-T-Lite, Pak-A-Sak and Subway. Danielle enjoyed baking. She loved her children, but her grandchildren were her absolute favorite people. Spending time with her family and her dogs was time well spent if you asked her. Nothing could make her happier. She was always glad to cheer them on in their sporting activities. She loved road trips and buying all kinds of noise-making toys for the grandbabies. You could find Danielle scrolling Tik-Tok and Marketplace.
Survivors include her children, Caylynn (Alexander Manlove) Hamilton of Marion, Colton (Erika) Norris of Zanesville, Cassandra (Samuel Stapleton) Hamilton-Stapleton of Liberty Center, Carrianna (Samuel Hanes-Olnhausen) Hamilton of Hartford City and Christopher Vebert, Jr. of Hartford City; five grandchildren, Everley Manlove, Eliana and Isabelle Norris, Emerson Stapleton and Aria Norris; along with her partner in life, Andrew Welty of Majenica. She is also survived by her mother, Sherri (Ron) Zook of Bluffton; and her siblings, Candance Wheat-Morgan, Joshua (Jessica) Shoemaker and Matthew (Ashley) Shoemaker, all of Bluffton.
Danielle is preceded in death by her father, Thomas Wheat.
Funeral services will be held at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at the Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home with Shawna Hamilton officiating.
Visitation will take place from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2026, at the funeral home.
Memorials may be made payable to Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home.
Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to the care of the Lemler family of Thoma/Rich, Lemler Funeral Home in Bluffton. Friends may share online condolences with the family at www.thomarich.com.