Descendants of Winfred Wells and Marie Antoinette Martin

Descendants of Winfred Wells

Winifred Wells was born 27 February 1895 in the Stepps Creek Community of Brown County, Texas. He grew up and married Marie Antoinette Martin 17 October 1915 in Brown County, Texas (Book: 8, Page: 68) Marie was the daughter of Robert Clifton Martin and Francis Adeline Williams. She was born 26 August 1899 in Texas, possibly Brownwood but that cannot be proven at this time. Her family lived in Eastland County, Texas when the 1900 Federal Census was taken.

Winfred was a "section laborer" for the railroad (9·C + S·F·) when his first child was born in Brown County on October 1916. He was a farm laborer on the Diller Ranch when he registered for the World War I Draft 5 June 1917. His address was Moran, Shackelford County on that record. His Certificate Of Discharge From Military Service (Serial Number 242) was filed 22 August 1917. Winfred was discharged because he was "a married man with wife and child dependent on his labor for support". They resided at the Diller Ranch in Albany, Shackelford County, Texas at that time. The photo of Winfred and his horse (below) was taken on the Diller Ranch.

Winfred provided at least partial support for his mother-in-law, "Fannie" Martin. She lived in their home when the 1920 census was taken. Harvey Wells lived nearby, or, in the same household. Winfred and Marie remained in Albany, Shackelford County, Texas for the births of their three youngest children.

Children of WINFRED WELLS and MARIE ANTOINETTE MARTIN are:

1. Winfred Hubert Wells was born 06 October 1916 in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas and died 12 November 1985 in Billings, Yellowstone County, Montana. He married Opal Essie Parrish 05 September 1936 in Garza County, Texas (Vol: 2, P: 303). She was the daughter of John A. and Estell Parrish. Opal was born 12 September 1919 in Oklahoma and died 03 October 1981 in Lewis & Clark County, Montana. Hubert was buried 14 November 1985 in East Helena Cemetery in East Helena, Lewis & Clark County, Montana

Clipped obituary
The date Nov. 12 1985 is handwritten

W. H. Wells

   W. H. Wells, formerly of 503 N. Montana Ave., East Helena, died early Tuesday morning at St. John's Lutheran Nursing Home in Billings. He was 69.
   Born in Brownwood, Texas, Oct. 6, 1916, to Winfred and Antonette Wells, he was raised in Texas and married Opal E. Parrish on Sept. 5, 1936, in Garza County, Texas. They came to East Helena in 1948 where he began employment with the East Helena Smelter in 1949, retired in 1975.
   He moved to Billings in September 1984. He had lived in the nursing home since January of this year.
   Mr. Wells was preceded in death by his wife, Opal in October 1981.
   Survivors include four daughters, Edith newman of East Helena, Marie Taylor of Spokane, Wash., Marjorie Opie of Billings and Nelda Myers of Portland Ore.; two sons, Marshall Wells of Billings and James W. Wells of Portland, Ore.; a brother, Howard of Elliston; a sister, Ardelia Wheatley of Brownwood, Texas; 24 grandchildren; and seven great-grandchildren.
   Funeral services will be conducted Thursday at 10:30 a.m. at the family Life Center in East Helena with the Rev. Vic Ailinen officiating. Burial wiil be in the East Helena Cemetery.
   Pallbearers will be his grandsons.
   Retz Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

The Spokesman-Review
1 February 2007

TAYLOR, Marie (Wells)
(Age 69)

Passed away peacefully at home on January 27, 2007. Services will be held at 1:00 pm Saturday February 3, 2007 at Valley Assembly of God, 15618 E. Broadway, Veradale, WA. Preceded in death by parents Hubert and Opal Wells, Survived by husband Archie Taylor; children Deborah Fields, Richard Ransier, Ora Haley, James Taylor, Dora Peterson, Joyce Chavez; brothers Marshall and Wesley Wells; sisters Marjorie Opie, Edith Newman and Nelda Wells; twenty-two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren. Born September 6, 1937 in Garza County, TX. Moved to Lewis and Clark County, MT in the late 1940s then moved to Spokane County in the mid 1960s, where she lived as a loving homemaker raising her children and grandchild Susan Lee Harvey.

2. Howard Lurl Wells was born 18 July 1919 in Albany, Shackelford County, Texas and died 07 December 1999 in Lewis & Clark County, Montana - lived in Elliston, Powell County, Montana. He married (1) A living individual 26 March 1938 in Lynn County, Texas (Vol: 3, P: 224). Howard and his 1st wife were divorced and he married (2) Irene Pearl (Lince) Ahl 18 December 1948 in Montana. Irene was the daughter of Elmer and Theo Lince. She was born 18 December 1919 and died 13 September 2001 in Lewis & Clark County, Montana - She lived in Elliston, Powell County, Montana.

Clipped obituary - not dated

Howard Wells, 80

Howard Wells, 80, of Elliston, MT, died on Tuesday, December7, 1999 at Saint Peters Hospital in helena of an extended illness.
Howar was born in Brownwood, TX on July 18, 1919, the son of Winfred Wells. On December 18, 1948 he married Irene Lince Ahl.
The couple was just one week short of celebrating their 51st wedding anniversary upon his death.
   Howard worked for many years for Powell County as part of the road maintenance crew in the Avon/Elliston area. He enjoyed his work and took a lot of pride in keeping the roads open in the winter, even if he had to go out on Christmas Day.
   Howard was an excellent mechanic and donated a lot of his time helping people keep their cars and trucks running. He enjoyed hunting and spent a lot of time enjoying the quietness of the Montana mountains.
   His parents and his brother Hubert proceded him in death.
   Howard is survived by his wife Irene of Elliston; daughters Peggy Howell of Texas, Dena (Gary) Strader of Oregon, Edna Ahl of Washington; son Frank (Bonnie) Ahl of Ellison; 11 grandchildren, 18 great-grandchildren; and sister Ardalia Wheatley of Sulphur Springs, TX.
   Services will be held at a late date.
"Home is the hunter home from the hills, may he rest on peace."

	3. Marie Motee Wells was born 22 February 1922 in Albany, Shackelford County, Texas and died 22 February 1922, Albany, Shackelford County, Texas.

4. Hermoine Ardalia Wells was born in Albany, Shackelford County, Texas and died 12 February 2008 in Lubbock, Lubbock County, Texas. She married Glenn Clark Wheatley 02 July 1938. They married in Posey, Lubbock County, Texas but the marriage record is in Post, Garza County, Texas. Glenn Clark Wheatley was the son of Henry Frank "Boe" Wheatley and Ida Lavelle Boren. He was born 25 March 1917 in Italy, Ellis County, Texas and died 27 September 2004 in Canyon, Randall County, Texas. They are buried in Dreamland Cemetery in Canyon, Randall County, Texas.

Hubert, Ardalia and Howard Wells

Marie (Martin) Wells' uncle, Frank Williams, was farming in Lynn County, Texas. Winfred was supposedly inticed by Frank to move there. We think Winfred and Marie were in Lynn County, Texas by 1924. The dusty climate is blamed for Marie's death.

Marie Antoinette (Martin) Wells died of pneumonia on 18 March 1925 in Garza County, Texas. Her death record is filed in Tahoka, Lynn County, Texas (The Lynn County Death Record book has her name listed correctly in the index. The actual death record has her name as Marie White. The names of her mother and father are correct). She is buried in Tahoka Cemetery in Tahoka, Lynn County, Texas

Clipped obituary - not dated

OBITUARY
---------

Mrs. Marie [Martin] Well, wife of Winfred Wells, died at her home in the eastern part of the county in March 18, 1825 (sic), after a short illness of pneumonia. All that faithful physicians and loving hands could proved to no avail against the grim monster, death.
She was bron (sic) August 26, leaving a grandmother, mother, a husband and three children to mourn their loss. One little one had gon (sic) on before. But their loss is her gain, for she said she was prepared for the eternal home.

"Why should we mourn, departed friend?
Or Weep at death's alarm?
"Tis but the voice of Jesus sends
To call us to his arms"

Funeral services were conducted at the residence of Rev. D. W. Reed and interment was made in Tahoka cemetery.
We can only point the sorrowing one to the source of all blessings, that in the darkness of sorrow the light of His love will shine into our hearts and draw them on in the upward way.

Her friend
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Winfred married (2) Myrtle Reeves most likely in Garza County.

Winfred Wells married (3) Ollie Marie Magee in his later years. She was born 01 June 1896 (SSDI) and died 22 February 1978 in Brown County, Texas. She is buried in Greenleaf Cemetery near Brownwood, Brown County, Texas.

Winifred Wells died of congestive heart failure on 29 August 1985 in the Brownwood Care Center in Brownwood, Brown County, Texas. He was buried next to Marie Wells on 31 August 1985 in Tahoka Cemetery in Tahoka, Lynn County, Texas

Post (Special) - August 31, 1985

Winfred Wells

Post (Special) - Graveside services for former longtime resident Winfred Wells, 90, of Brownwood, will be at 11 a.m. today in the Tahoka Cemetery with Elmer Nelson Wells officiating.
Burial was under direction of Justice-Mason Funeral Home.

Wells, a native of Brown County, died at 10:45 p.m. Thursday in the Brownwood Care Center. He came to Garza County in 1923 to farm. He retired in 1959 and moved to Brownwood. His wife died in 1925. He was a Baptist.

Survivors include: Ardalia Wheatley of Brownwood; sons, Howard Wells of Elliston, Montana and Hubert Wells of Billings, Montana; brothers, Elmer Wells of Brownwood and Delbert Wells of Midland; sisters, Sadie Allgood of Taylor; Lola Flowers and Vida Robinson of Brownwood, 12 grandchildren, 26 great-grandchildren, and 11 great-great-grandchildren.

Grandsons and great-grandsons will be pallbearers.

Sources
	1900 Justice Precinct 1, Brown County, Texas - Pages: 43B & 44A - household: 80/85 NOTE: Delbert and Janett had been married 7 years, she had 4 children all of them living at the time. Rachel was 69 years old, had been married 47 years, widowed before June 1 1900, mother of 10 children 4 of which were living.
	1900 1 Justice Precinct, Brown County, Texas
	1910 1 Justice Precinct, Brown County, Texas - Page: 84B
	1920 1 Justice Precinct, Shackelford County, Texas
	1930 Precinct 1, Garza County, TX - Page 22B, Line: 93, Household/ Residence: 92