Wanda A. Wesler

Wanda A. Wesler, age 92, of New Paris, Ohio, passed away on May 18, 2026.

Wanda was born on December 12, 1933, in Richmond, Indiana, to Leo Stigleman and Hazel Fulle/Stigleman. She graduated from Richmond High School and later married Meredith R. Wesler on January 13, 1957. Together, Wanda and Meredith shared 69 years of marriage and built a life centered around family, hard work, faith, and community.

Wanda worked at Natco and Dillard’s, but most of her working life was spent beside her husband at Wesler Orchards. She was well known for baking pies and making caramel apples, both for public sale and for the enjoyment of her grandchildren. For more than 40 years, she sold caramel apples at the Preble County Pork Festival, with as many as 200,000 sold over the years.

Wanda had a servant’s heart and loved helping people in her community. She was regularly seen volunteering at the New Paris, Ohio Food Pantry and helping with church and community functions through St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Richmond. Her kindness, work ethic, and willingness to care for others left a lasting impression on all who knew her.

She is survived by her husband, Meredith R. Wesler; her children, Diana Weatherly and her husband, James “Doug”; Brian Wesler; and Ronald Wesler and his wife, Jennifer; her grandchildren, Matthew, Jason, Megan, Kurtis, and Mitchel; and her great-grandchildren, Bailey, Emma, Caytlin, Katie, Anna, Maria, Leo, Jonah, and Ben. She is also survived by her sister, Judy Stigleman, along with extended family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Leo and Hazel (Fulle) Stigleman; and her siblings, Betty Wood, James Stigleman, Gale Dearing, and Richard Stigleman.

A public visitation will be held on Saturday, May 23, 2026 at the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 121 South 18th Street, Richmond, Indiana from 12:00 P.M. to 1:30 P.M. with the funeral service starting at 1:30 P.M. Interment will be held in Spring Lawn Cemetery in New Paris, Ohio. A meal will be held afterward at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church.

Arrangements are entrusted to Barnes Funeral Home, New Paris, Ohio. Condolences may be sent to the family via the website www.barnesfuneralhome.com

Memorial contributions may be made to St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, the New Paris, Ohio Food Pantry, or Meals on Wheels.

Wanda will be remembered for her generosity, her faith, her devotion to family, and the many ways she shared her gifts.