WELLS, William Reed 1812 - 1888

WELLS, JORDAN, WILSON

Posted By: Richard K. Thompson (email)
Date: 12/31/2010 at 20:57:05

Fairfield Ledger
Fairfield, Iowa
January 11, 1888
Pg. 3

Death of Capt. W.R. WELLS

Capt. Wm. R. WELLS died at 9:45 Thursday morning, January 5th, of a general breaking up of his strong constitution, passing quietly away on the arm of his friend, Albert R JORDAN. In giving a resume of his eventful life we print in full the very eloquent and concise address of Prof. J.R. WILSON of Parsons College, at his funeral, which was held from the Congregational church on Sunday morning last:

William Reed WELLS was born at Marblehead, Mass., January 30, 1812. When he was about seven years old his father removed to a farm at Cape Elizabeth, near to Portland, Maine, where he brought his family of six sons and three daughters. Like most young men of the cape William took to the sea. His first trip as officer was on the ship Hellespont of Boston, on a voyage round the world. In this voyage he touched at the Sandwich Islands to land missionaries whom his ship had taken out from America. He afterwards commanded the ship Coriolanus in the European trade, and later the Saracen (sic. Saracon ??) in the trade with the East Indies. It was a serious sickness on his last voyage that led him to abandon the sea. In 1847 Captain WELLS removed to Marietta, O, where he had been preceded, among other friends, by his brother, M.P. WELLS, whose home is still there, and who is now the only one of the six brothers surviving. He remained in Marietta but a few years.

In 1850 he removed to Fairfield and engaged in mercantile business in company with his brother-in-law, the late William H. JORDAN. After retiring from business some years since he continued to make Fairfield his home, and though he retained a warm affection for the scenes of his boyhood and early life he sometimes surprised his friends by the warmth of his expressions of admiration for Iowa, his adopted state, and Fairfield his later home. This was really the first settled home he knew after leaving his father's house. While yet on the sea he was married to Emily D., daughter of the late Capt. Clement JORDAN, then of Cape Elizabeth. Mrs. WELLS accompanied him on several of his later voyages, removed with him to Marietta, and later to Fairfield. Here they built their home and spent the greater part of their married life. In 1879 Mrs. WELLS' health failed, and after a lingering illness in which she was tenderly watched over by her husband, she died November 30 of that year. The light of her husband's life seemed to go out with her, and earth to him was no longer home.

Captain WELLS was long in communion with the Congregational church. He was an attentive listener to the gospel, read his Bible much and thought deeply upon the great questions that concern us all. Always a wide reader, and, when retirement from business brought him extended leisure, almost a devourer of books, still, amidst it all the great theme of the Word of God received his largest attention. Particularly, when widowed and bereaved he was left to complete his days alone, his thought seemed to turn with increasing persistence toward the home and life with God. Differing in his views on many points from his brethre, as he was wont frankly to confess, he still grasped with firmer hold the great facts of the gospel. With increasing infirmities, for aught we could see, his spiritual tread grew steadier, and at last, leaning on the arm, and trusting the sufficiency of his Savior, he seemed to walk out into the clear light of God.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes. I am not related to the person(s).

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, Iowa. Old.P.067