NeVerl Florence Wheeler Kinsey, 92, of Eureka Nursing Center, Eureka Kansas, died 5 February 2015.
She was born April 25, 1922 in Hudson, Colorado to Alexander James Wheeler and Florence Elrena Sellek Wheeler. NeVerl attended Emporia State Teacher's College and received a teaching certificate in 1940, and began teaching in Climax Kansas. She married Walter Arnold Kinsey on May 4, 1946 at the Methodist Parsonage in Hamilton, Kansas. She continued to teach in the Greenwood County area until she and Walt moved to Safford, Arizona about 1950. About 1952 they moved to Farmington New Mexico, then Bloomfield New Mexico where NeVerl continued to teach until her retirement. After Walter, her school children and her many nieces and nephews were the joy of her life.
In 1994 NeVerl and Walt moved back to Kansas and bought a home in El Dorado where they lived for several years before moving to the Eureka Nursing home, Eureka Kansas. NeVerl was the youngest of her siblings by ten years, and as such grew up quickly. Perhaps because her childhood was lacking in young siblings, she loved loving on youngsters. She entertained "her children" by doing Minnie Pearl imitations, which she did with a very convincing "HooowDEEEEE".
NeVerl won an Outstanding Teacher of the Year award when she was teaching in New Mexico. She also wrote a book on teaching. NeVerl wrote her and her husband life stories as well as wrote monthly articles for the eureka Nursing Center newspaper.
Her love for her young ones and her great sense of humor contributed to a rumor that a nephew talked her into taking a motorcycle ride through the local community. She later scolded that the ride lead to the only time she ever lied, when one of her students claimed to have seen her riding on a motorcycle through Bloomfield NM. She told the class they certainly were mistaken, since "Miz Kinsey's big backside wouldn't fit on a motorcycle".
She could make a piano bounce as she played honkey-tonk music, but only 6 days a week. Sundays found only church music coming from her fingers on the keyboard. NeVerl was the avid home-canner to her Walter's gardening. They excelled with their produce, but it was very much the joint effort of love, as was everything they did. The unexpected piano delivery was perhaps the only time the pair frowned at each other, but that was quickly resolved, and the piano stayed. NeVerl and Walt's retirement years in El Dorado found them enjoying friends at the Sat morning coffee get-together with Angie and Isaac at their cafe.
NeVerl is survived by many nieces, nephews, and thousands of students she influenced.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Walter, daughter Carol Lynn Kinsey, sister Elvie Wheeler Tate, brother, Ivan Wheeler and sister Trilla Wheeler.


Memorial donations may be made out to the Alzheimer's Foundation or Haverhill Christian Church left in care of the Dunsford Funeral Home.
Visitation will be Monday February 9, from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. with family being present from 6-8 p.m. Graveside services will take place at the Eureka Cemetery in Eureka, Kansas at 1 p.m. Tuesday February 10, 2015.