Mother of two young sons

April Wheeler, shot to death by a friend's estranged husband, "based her life on the right things" and "was struck down trying to do good," her pastor said at her funeral Wednesday.

More than 300 people attended the funeral at United Methodist Church of the Shepherd in St. Peters.

Wheeler, 29, of St. Charles, and a friend, Kelli Alexander, 35, were killed late Friday afternoon in Town and Country by Alexander's estranged husband, John Alexander. He died minutes later when - fleeing police - he lost control of his speeding SUV and crashed at Highway 40 and Lindbergh Boulevard.

The Rev. Robert Farr, the church's pastor, told mourners that he had received from Wheeler's friends 16 pages of information for use in preparing his eulogy. Many in the church wept as Farr spoke. Some people laughed as he recounted that stubbornness was part of Wheeler's makeup.

"I read that about nine thousand times," Farr said.

Addressing Wheeler's husband, Mark, and other family members seated at the front of the church, Farr added, "She'd like your laughter today, I think."

Wheeler, a financial planner for Morgan Stanley, was with Kelli Alexander when Alexander's husband killed them in front of the Alexanders' children. Wheeler was the mother of two sons, 1 and 5. She had rallied behind Kelli Alexander over her complaints of her husband's abuse and helped her as she was getting a divorce.

April and Mark Wheeler met while both were in the Marine Corps. She treasured her time in the Marines, loved to ride horses and befriended everyone she met, Farr told mourners.

"Her home was your home, if you needed it to be," Farr said. "Did you hear that? Her home was your home, if you needed it to be."

Burial was at St. Charles Memorial Gardens.

Reporter Tim Bryant
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