John McLain Wells (1852-1917)

WELLS, MCLAIN

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 7/18/2016 at 22:05:05

From Nevada Representative January 31, 1917 (front page)

JOHN M. WELLS DIED SUNDAY

COUNTY SURVEYOR FOR PAST FIFTEEN YEARS EXPIRES AFTER OPERATION AT ROCHESTER, MINN.

John Wells who has been county surveyor for many years and has had much to do with the laying out of the drainage system of Story county, passed away at Rochester, Minn., following an operation for a tumor of the bladder. Mr. Wells has been identified with the work of County for year and has a reputation on drainage matters second to none in the state according to reliable authorities.

His body will arrive in Nevada this evening and the funeral will be held at his late home at 2:30 o'clock on Wednesday afternoon.

An obituary notice will be published later.

From Nevada Representative January 3, 1918 (front page)

FUNERAL HELD FOR JOHN M. WELLS

SERVICE OF THE LATE COUNTY SURVEYOR AND EXPERT IN DRAINAGE MATTERS LARGELY ATTENDED

In the passing of John McLain Wells, which unwelcome event occurred at Rochester, Minn., in the early afternoon of Sunday, Dec. 30, 1917, Nevada, Story County and the commonwealth of Iowa, has lost a representative citizen. The cause of his death in semi-medical terms, was tumor of the bladder complicated by generalized peritonitis and urinary infection, following a most difficult surgical operation. It was announced by the Mayo hospital physicians and so recognized by the family including Mr. Wells himself, that the malady without an operation would soon prove fatal, and that the chances of a successful outcome of such operation were only one in a thousand. But notwithstanding this desperate outlook, the patient, with the spirit of genuine heroism decided to go down into the very valley and shadow of death that he might possibly win the much coveted one thousandth chance. The prayerful cry of his bereaved household and in which their fellow citizens devoutly unite is, "Oh, that his quest might have been victorious and his useful life continued yet many years." But in the providence of Him who seeth the end from the beginning it seemed best otherwise; and in this present disappointment experience and all others like it, we must all do our best to say in trustful resignation "not our will but thine, O, God be done."

Mr. Wells was a native of Illinois and born near Rochelle on June 2, 1852. His father, Chester Wells, was a native of Vermont and his mother Mary McLain Wells, of Bedfor county, Pa., and they seemed to have bequeathed to the son no little of the rugged "strength of the hills" of these two mountainous states. He came with his parents to Story county, Iowa, as a lad of nine years, in 1861. From that date ill 1869 his time was divided between labors on the farm and securing of such preliminary education as the public schools of the county could furnish. In addition he must have done some sharp advance studying on his own account as he began teaching at the early age of sixteen. A year later he entered the Iowa State College at Ames, and graduated as a member of its first class in 1872. The expenses of his college education were met by teaching winters and laboring on the college farm during summers. Following his graduation he spent two years in the civil engineering department of the Northwestern Railroad at Chicago and some two or three years additional teaching in Illinois. He then returned to Story County and resumed the agricultural activities of his youthful years.

A year or two later, in 1879, he was married to Miss Alzina E. Loring of Marseilles, Illinois. Their home was established on the farm where they resided some fourteen years. They then moved to Nevada, where for nearly a quarter of a century they had lived at the time of his death. His wife and the daughter, Raine Genevieve, that came to gladden their hearts and to bring abiding cheer to the home, survive him.

The first class to graduate from Iowa State College of which Mr. Wells was a popular and honored member, consisted of twenty four men and two women. Judging from the achievements of those within the range of personal knowledge and others whose undisputed records are well known, the membership in the matter of marked ability and high purpose was manifestly quite a little above the usual average in such class groupings. Two at least have won distinction as millionaire accumulators of wealth. Two or more hold leading positions as educators in their Alma mater, the greatest agricultural institution of the day. Not less than two others have won honorable records as judges. And still others in divergent useful activities have risen far above the mediocre grade of the world's workers, to the rank of masters in their calling. But none of them, measured by the true standard of success--high ideals, worthy life and useful service--have been more successful than the member who just passed ot of the earthly dwelling into the house not made with hands eternal in the heavens. As a student and teacher in the halls of learning he did thorough, honest, conscientious, character building work. As a tiller of the soil he mixed brain with tillage in the end that the fruit of the field should [ several line are unreadable ]lations to the drainage operations of the county the past decade or more his services have been of great value. The result of this work in which he bore so conspicuous a part had added millions to the value of our farm lands. In addition to these admirable traits of character and these helpful services he had the ability to attract and made enduring friends of our best citizens. If this is not success, what is success? It may be less spectacular than some other forms, but no less genuine and fully as serviceable to the community of which we are part and to the world in which we live.

At the beginning of the present century there was organized in Nevada a club titled the "Twentieth Century Club." Its membership was drawn from among the brainiest and best disciplined minds of our citizenship, and the subjects chosen for discussion covered a wide range and called for much thought and no little research. Mr. Wells was one of its charter members and in its sharp mental contests proved himself to be as good as the best. He was no slacker, and could always be depended upon to get on to the firing line and well to the front. Mr. Wells was not much of a mixer in politics, but in the fall of 1889 there was an independent movement as a protest against too many repetitions in terms of county officials and in favor of the establishment of a two term and out rule. The convention called to organize and make effective the movement nominated Mr. Wells as an Independent Republican for Representative in the state legislature in opposition to the regular nominee, C. C. McCarthy. Mr. Wells put up a remarkable strenuous campaign; and only lost out by some 180 odd votes though handicapped by a straight Republican majority of 1258. The contest not only greatly disturbed the local political waters, but even swayed to some extent the currents of state and national political waters especially as affecting the fortunes of aspirants for a seat in the U. S. Senate.

The funeral services were held yesterday Jan. 2, 1918 at 2:30 p. m. as announced. They were largely attended and eminently fitting from every point of view They were in charge of Dr. O. H. Cessna, assisted by Dean E. M. Stanton, both of the college, and by Judge Stevens of Boone, all classmates of the deceased. The tributes paid by these three classmates and intimate friends for nearly a half century were of a character and form a source and so transfused with sincerity, and affection as to give them untold value. They were true, tender, just to the memory of the departed, and comforting to the bereft household and sorrowing neighbors and friends. The life of which such tributes can truthfully be pronounced has certainly been lived to high purpose and to the enduring betterment of humanity near and far.

Surviving relatives, aside from wife and daughter, are brothers, S. C. Wells and family of Des Moines, Calvin Wells and family of Long Beach, California and cousins, Mr and Mrs. Frank McLain of Nevada.

Out of town people were present at the services in addition to those already named were Mrs. A. T. Adams, Carrolton, Mo., niece of Mrs. Wells, Sam T. c. Wells and Harry Holbrook, Des Moines; Judge Lee, C. M. Soper, Mrs. E. M. Stanton, W. M. Templeton, and Ed Graves, Ames.

Mr. Wells was a member of the Masonic fraternity and the local [ several words are unreadable] had charge of the [ unreadable ] in the cemetery.