AVERILL, Anna Sophia Wells 1833 - 1912

AVERILL, WELLS, MASON, RUSSELL, STEVER, WILKINSON, JORDAN, HASTINGS

Posted By: Richard K. Thompson (email)
Date: 1/2/2011 at 21:00:26

The Fairfield Ledger
Fairfield, Iowa
Wednesday December 25, 1912
Pg. 6

Mrs. AVERILL Has Passed Away

The Times (sic. Los Angeles TImes newspaper of Los Angeles, California) announces the death of Mrs. Anna S. AVERILL in Los Angeles, Ca., the 15th inst. Mrs. AVERILL was a daughter of Rev. A. S. WELLS (sic. Rev. Ashbel Shipley WELLS and his wife Sophia HASTINGS WELLS), a pioneer resident of Fairfield, and was for many years a resident of this city. She was a student and a scholar, a teacher of unusual ability, a woman of great talent. Although she has been absent from Fairfield for thirty years, all our older people will remember her and will sorrow at her death. The Times says:

Mrs. Anna S. AVERILL died at the Columbia hospital last evening at 5:30 o'clock from natural weakness after having lingered between life and death for several days. She was eighty years old and her end was as peaceful as if she had been a child sinking into sleep. As she passed away she was surrounded by all her near relatives.

Mrs. AVERILL was a most delightful and gentle little woman, who, notwithstanding her great age, was active in educational, church and club work up to the time she was taken to the hospital a week or more since.

She was a native of Michigan, but prior to coming to Los Angeles in 1880, lived with her husband, N. S. AVERIll (sic. Norman S. AVERILL) in Iowa, where he was engaged in mercantile business (sic. located in Fairfield, Iowa). AVERILL, the familiarly known secretary of the board of education of this city, died two years ago (sic. January 28, 1911).

When they came from Iowa they purchased a ranch at Garden Grove and Mrs. AVERILL became a school teacher at that place. Later they disposed of the ranch and moved to the city, purchasing a home on Rockwood street, where they remained. Mrs. AVERILL taught in the city schools and her husband at first became an employee in the county offices and later was elected secretary of the board of education. Prior to this time, Mrs. AVERILL had served a term as assistant superintendent of the city schools.

During the entire thirty-two years of her residence here, she was very active in all lines of literary work and was greatly beloved by all who knew her. The AVERILL club was organized and named in her honor. She was author of two volumes of fiction, "Anna MASON, or The Temple of Shells," and "The RUSSELL Family."

She and her husband celebrated their golden (sic. 50 years) wedding in March, 1908, when they received hundreds of their friends. The sunny life of both made their existence one of the great delight to themselves and to those around them. After the death of Mr. AVERILL, there seemed nothing that Mrs. AVERILL cared to live for, though she never ceased her activities. When she was taken to the hospital a few days ago, she said she wanted to go and never expressed the slightest desire to get up again.

She leaves one son, G.E. AVERILL (sic. George Edward AVERILL), a sister, Mrs. J.H. STEVER (sic. Mrs. Juliet Hastings WELLS STEVER, widow of GEORGE STEVER), and a niece, Mrs. F.N WILKINSON, all of this city, and another sister, Mrs. H.E. JORDAN (sic. Harriet Eliza WELLS JORDAN, widow of Albert Rufus JORDAN), of Colorado Springs, who arrived here on Thursday and has been with Mrs. AVERILL constantly since.

Funeral arrangements have not been completed and will be announced later. The executive committee of the AVERILL Study club will hold a meeting today to arrange for attending the services.

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

Note: Born in May 1833 and died on December 15, 1912. Survived by a son, George Edward AVERILL. Anna, her husband Norman, sons George and John are all buried at Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California. A three year old daughter, Gertrude, who died in 1871, is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Fairfield, Jefferson County, Iowa.