Wellesprings … Autumn 2007 … tenth bucket
article was well worth reprinting in our newsletter as an example of someone who personified the good works of our mutual ancestor, Gov. Thomas Welles… G. E. Wells dies at 98; ran dairy, poultry farms Compiled by Mari Russano “George E. Wells, 98, of 359 Wellsville Ave., a life long New Milford resident and longtime farmer, died Monday, March 20, (2000) at his home. He was the widower of Ether (Mallory) Wells, to whom he was married for 73 years. Mr. Wells was born Feb. 18, 1902, in New Milford, son of the late John and Vesta (Abbot) Wells. He was a graduate of New Milford High School and also graduated from the former Connecticut Agricultural College at Storrs, which is now the University of Connecticut. While at college he was a member of the baseball team and a pitcher. He was a longtime farmer and later became a member of the faculty of New Milford High School, where he taught vocational agriculture for 11 years. He later started Wells Hatchery in New Milford, which he owned and operated for many years along with his son, Stuart, before he retired. He also operated a number of poultry and dairy farms in the area over many years. He was a longtime member and a past president of Litchfield County Farm Bureau. Mr. Wells was a recipient of the Outstanding Farmer of the Year Award by the University of Connecticut. He was active in the New Milford community, where he served as a member and past chairman of the Board of Education. He was a member of the building committee for John Pettibone Elementary School in 1954. He was a lifelong member of First Congregational Church of New Milford and served as a past deacon and as the church’s treasurer for 17 years. He also was chairman of the building committee for the Marsh Parish Hall when it was erected. He enjoyed fishing, flying his own sea plane and gardening. He also enjoyed golfing, which he began at the age of 70, and had two holes in one…” The article goes on to list descendants and arrangements, which I have not repeated here as we already know that this is our member, J. Stuart Wells’ father and Ruth Wells Stull’s brother. **************************************************** Myra Caroline Sims sent the following e-mail just before Veterans Day. I feel it is appropriate to share it with all as we all need to say “Thanks” to our Veterans and active Servicemen and women, every day.
I want to say "Thank you" to all the Veterans who served our country. If you did not serve someone in your family did. November 11. Please say Thank You to these wonderful men. MCS "Stephen J. Earley" wrote: he is a "VETERAN" Subject: Veterans Day To: William Kenney "VETERAN" Remember, it is the Soldier, not the reporter who has given us the freedom of the press. It is the Soldier, not the poet, who has given us the freedom of speech. It is the Soldier who salutes the flag, who serves beneath the flag, and whose coffin is draped by the flag, who allows the protester to burn the flag.
MORE VITAL RECORDS AVAILABLE … in Bennington, Vermont
Bennington (Vermont) Museum is “Celebrating Vermont’s Heritage” (as it’s motto says). The museum has acquired 278 rolls of microfilm containing birth, marriage and death records for all of Vermont from the period 1908 to 1941.
Wellesprings … Autumn 2007 … eleventh bucket
These records complete a collection that dates to the 1760s, allowing “genealogy buffs, historians, and people interested in their heritage to look up particulars. If it happened in Vermont between 1760 and 1941 and it was recorded, it’s in there.” The museum is open daily, except Wednesdays [and probably holidays, but the article didn’t say anything about that], from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for students and seniors, and free for children younger that 18. For information call (802) 447-1571 or visit www.benningtonmuseum.com . The Bennington Museum has a large collection of genealogical books, family histories and vital records. It is more well known as the holder of the largest public collection of Grandma Moses paintings in the country. ******************************************************** The Biography of Polemon Wells Submitted by new member Sharon Larson (Florence, AZ) “ My parents were Delos Curtis Wells and Abigail Maria Wells. They were married Nov. 2, 1843. I was born Jan. 29 1849. I had five sisters and two brothers, Amelia, Albert, Ella, Ida, Burritt, and Mary Louisa. I was the third child and the second son. We lived at that time in the neighborhood of Hunts Hollow in the township of Portage, N.Y. We lived on a small farm, had many kinds of fruit trees and berry bushes, and a small spring stream crossed the farm. In 1856 Father got the western fever and came to Monticello and bought a farm there. He spent the winter there and in the spring of 1857 moved his family there, and on the way out we made a visit to two of my mother’s halfbrothers in Michigan. Then we came to Dubuque Iowa and came up the river in a steamboat to St. Paul. I was in my ninth year. Coming through Lake Pepin there was a steamboat sunk on the west side. They were going down from St. Paul, the wind carried the ice over and sank the boat, leaving an open channel on the east side. We were one of 6 boats in a string coming up. The passengers on the boat that was sunk came across the ice and boarded the boat we were on. This was on the 1st of May, about a month later than usual. The steamer Enterprise was running on the upper river from Minneapolis to St. Cloud. The upper river was opened before the ice was out of Lake Pepin so we arrived in St. Paul and hired a team to take us to Mnpls. to my Uncle John Mann’s farm near Lake Harriet. A short time afterward we moved to the farm in Monticello. In the summer of 1857 the grasshoppers ate up every green thing. The boom in real estate fell through. We talk of hard times now, but they are not a circumstance to what they were then. There was no money in circulation, could not get money enough to buy a postage stamp, and in the fall we came down to Mnpls and Father worked in Uncle John Mann’s store that winter in Minnehaha creek, near where the bridge crossed Lyndale Ave., and a grist mill was near the bridge, run by Mr. Webb, the miller. There was a dam there as the mill was run by water power. Our nearest neighbor was James Dunamoor. There were six boys, Frank, Albert, Irving, Charles, Fred the Doctor, and John the youngest. I knew the oldest boys very well. I only remember a few of the neighbors for I was in my ninth year. There were Hanscoms and Brewster and Dunbar the Blacksmith who had his shop over acroshe creek from the store, and Job Pratt, whose daughter Emma L. I married as my second wife years later on. The school house was built on the top of the hill at Richfield. We used to slide down the hill, the miller going to his boarding place used to put ashes on the path and we would sweep the ashes off and carry water up from the creek and pour the path to make it smooth again. In the spring of ’58 we moved back to Monticello. Among the early recollections of my childhood, we all went to church sitting on hard benches, and listened to a long sermon of two hours. Then we had an hour recess and we had our lunch, then sat two hours longer listening to a sermon. It was very strenuous and tiresome for a small boy and I have never forgotten it, and we could not twist around like the boys do nowadays, we had to sit quiet or our father would look at us, and I knew what all that meant. When I was a young man I worked making ties on the 1st Section of the “M.P.-R.R.” out of Cloquet. I worked in the lumber camp one winter and in the spring I took a trip west to Fargo, N. Dak., spent the summer there and did not like the country so I came back home. After greeting my folks, the first person I met was Miss Annie James, a school teacher who afterwad I married Nov. 28 1872. The first summer I lived in Mnnpls. On 7th St. and I was converted and was baptized in Lake Harriet and joined the Baptist church on 7th Street and Nicollet Ave. Then we moved to Monticello on a farm and then we went to the Congregational church. Five children were born to us: Cora Maggie, Susie Mary, Mabel Annis, James
Wellesprings … Autumn 2007 … twelth bucket Eugene, Zoe Alice. We lived in Montecello until the children got grown up. Then Engene and Mabel and Zoe went to the Agriculture School at St. Pau. Minn. Mr. A. D. Gains taught music in the Agriculture School and he had bought land in N. Dak., and he talked to Eugene and got him enthused to take a homestead in Oliver Co., N. Dak. In 1895 Cora Maggie Wells married Winfield Card and moved out west in the town of Marysville Wash. Eugene, Susie and I went up to N. Dak. 35 miles northwest of Mandan and filed on homesteads and in the spring of 1902 in March, I took a car of lumber and a wagon and team of horses, got to Mandan, met one of the biggest blizzards they had in 7 years, had to stay at the hotel until the storm was over, then drove out to my homestead with the lumber and built me a small house and commenced to think of breaking some land, and got a telegram May 15 1902 that my wife had died. Then I went home and a few days after the funeral, Eugene went up to Dak. as some one had to be on hand to look after the homesteads. And in July 1902 Mabel Annis cafrom the Agricultural School and went out to camp to a lake about 10 miles from St. Peter with some girls and boys for a vacation, and the three girls and two boys went out in a boat and the boat capsized and three girls were drowned. The boys were saved by hanging on the edge of the boat and one of the girls was my daughter Mabel, so I had to send for Eugene to come home, and late that fall the rest of us that were left, Eugene, Susie, Zoe, and I went back to N. Dak. on the homestead. We lived together for a while, then Eugene and Susie went to live on their homestead and Zoe went to teaching school and was away from home. Then later on Eugene got married to Mildred A. McCone and Susie married Henry H. Nelson, and in 1907 Zoe married Louis B. Bassett; she met him at the Agriculture School, and they have a home in St. Paul near the Agriculture School where her husband teaches in the school. So that left me all alone on my homestead. It was very lonesome and had to get along, to cook my own meals and do the work on the farm. In the long winter evenings I used to draw; I sent away for drawing lessons. It helped pass the time and I got so I could copy the drawings fairly well. I also used to work out puzzles, I must have taken that from my mother as she was very apt in studying out puzzles. I lived alone for over 4 years, then I went to Mnpls on a visit and met Mrs. Emma L. Schiffbauer who was post mistress of Sta F a branch of the Mnpls post office on Lyndale Ave. and 53rd St. Later on I married her. We were married at her mother’s home Aug. 2, 1910, at 2784 Bryant Ave. S. and the next afternoon we started home for N. Dak. We stopped off several places on the way. The first place we went was to Monticello and visited my sister Amelia who had married a farmer by the name of Edson D. Washburn. We stayed overnight and part of the next day there. Friday night we got to Marion N. Dak. where Louis Bassett and my daughter Zoe lived for a while; he was superintending some large farms; stayed there until Sunday morning. Early Sunday morning we started for Jamestown, N. Dak. They took us with their car which was 25 miles from Marion; we got breakfast there and then hunted up one of my wife’s friends who used to live near her in Mnpls. and had moved to Jamestown. We stayed there all night and the next day took the train for Washburn, N. Dak. Got in there about noon and my son Eugene was there to meet us and brought my top carriage and horses hitched behind his team, and brought them across on the ferry to Washburn,. Then in the afternoon we started home; we had to drive back over the ferry and it was eight miles to our home. We got home before dark and were invited up to Eugene’s for supper, and that ended our trip for a while. We got home Aug. 10 1910. The spring before I was married, Susie Mary who was married to Henry H. Nelson moved away to Marysville Wash. And lived a block and a half from her sister Cora’s. We lived on the farm 18 years, off and on. Every fall for a few weeks my wife used to go to Mnpls after threshing was over, and visit her mother as long as she lived, also to see her children. My wife had two children, Earl Pratt Schiffbauer and Mrs. John M. Morton. We have many pleasant memories of the first few years we lived in Dak. And we went through some very tough years too. One year in particular when we both had accidents the same winter and got no crop but a little corn, but God never failed us. We used to go to church at Hensler 4 ½ miles away. We always went in summer time until winter came, then the roads were so drifted it was impossible to go, and was so cold. One winter we had a snowbank 10 ft. high north of the house and we had our pictures taken on top of it. Sometimes we had preaching and Sunday School in the school house on top of the hill near our home, and my wife was superintendent part of the time and taught the Bible class, and helped with the singing. As we got older we could not run the farm alone and it was hard to get good help and wages were so high. In the summer of 1915 my wife’s mother died and my wife went home to the funeral and her sister Ida F. Pratt came back with her and stayed 3 months with us. Also Mr. and Mrs. John Morton came and stayed 2 weeks, and late in the winter
Wellesprings … Autumn 2007 … thirteenth bucket
we rented our farm and went down to Mnpls to live for 6 years, went back to Dak. To live in 1921, then we had several dry years, and both worked so hard and got so we could not do the work on the farm any longer so we decided to rent it again and move back to Mnpls. In the fall of 1929 we had an auction and sold out. We left a lot of good friends and neighbors behind; we got back to Mnpls in Sept. 1929 and rented a small place and we are having the happiest time of our lives as we have so many more privileges living here, like hearing good sermons and concerts. I joined the M. E. Church at Richfield where my wife went, and joined the church when she was 18 years old. We go there Sunday mornings, and Sunday afternoon we go with her daughter and husband as they have their car and take us with them to the Riverside Tabernacle where they attend, where Luther Rader preaches and other evangelists and we hear wonderful sermons and singing. They are doing wonderful work at the Tabernacle, and this winter many souls have been saved and many people healed. Sunday afternoon and evening it is almost always packed with people. They have a large pipe organ and two pianos and a band and a large choir and the leader plays beautiful hy7mns on the cornet. My son James Eugene and family who lived the near neighbor to us moved away several years before we left Dak. They moved to Clinton Iowa where most of his wife’s relatives live, and he is still living there. The spring after he left, in March we got a telegram that Cora Maggie died very suddenly of pneumonia, and left a family of 7 children. And in April Susie Mary lost her husband with pneumonia too. I am now 82 years old and if the Lord is willing I would like to live a few years longer. I have 19 grandchildren and 6 great – grandchildren and one sister (Celina) living in Mnpls. And sister Ella lives in Florida, and brother Burritt lives in Calif. /s/ Polemon Wells 5511 Pillsbury ave. S. Mnpls March 1931” It is such fun to read these biographies and see what our ancestor’s lives were like and the things that were important to them. They suffered, labored, rejoiced, and prayed not unlike today just in different ways. Next issues, we will have one of Poleman’s sisters’ biographies. ****************************************************
D. Lee Hamilton (Vandervoort, AR) announced the birth of his Grand niece, Ann Elizabeth Katzfey. She is the grand daughter of his brother, John P. Hamilton, of Springfield, IL, and daughter of Matt and Anne Katzfey of Chicago, IL. Ann Elizabeth is the great-great-granddaughter of Thomas B. Welles of Penfield, IL. We welcome Miss Ann Elizabeth but wish great uncle Lee had included her birth date in his note.
******************************************************** Bob Welles (Redlands, CA) emailed me just before the reunion about the fantastic 100th birthday celebration they had for his Dad, Marshall Philip Welles. I was fortunate to share this wonderful celebration news with the cousin in Glastonbury on Sept. 29th. However, since several of you were not present, thought to highlight the event for you. The association sent a special Resolutions of Celebration to Marshall, which the family had framed and presented to him during the afternoon event. Marshall developed the elaborate program the celebration, planning every detail and writing the script. Bob says ,“380 people crowded into the meeting hall at his retirement complex. Each person received a name tag and an informative program (which we were fortunate to receive a copy of for our Memory Book). Bob’s son acted as MC. There was a video of his life (pictures with his prerecorded narration, put together by another granddaughter and her husband); entertainments from local Chinese, Filipino and Thai churches (the countries in which they served); remembrances from old friends; and a birthday cake with 100 candles.” Bob continued, “All this took two hours.” Later, the extended family moved to a beautiful spot on the grounds for pictures and then on to a prime rib dinner. Marshall was “front and center” for seven hours and it wasn’t over! “He was featured at church the next morning; he has been besieged by reporters and photographers, which have resulted in large spreads in the Pasadena newspaper and the Los Angles Times; he receives visits from people he has never met who have read these articles; and he has appointments to speak at two local Rotary clubs.” Bob commented, “Meanwhile, I am waiting for him to get back to his autobiography, which is 400 pages and counting … I don’t think he will die out of boredom.” The Welles family is honored to call Marshall kin and proud of his accomplishments. Here are some highlights of his life.
Wellesprings … Autumn 2007 … final bucket
Born July 29, 1907 in Los Angeles, CA …Graduated from Pasadena High School in 1925… Graduated from Oregon State College in 1930…Graduated from Russ Medical College, Chicago, IL in 1935… Married Helen Louise Antisdale on July 15, 1935…Commissioned as a medical missionary to China in 1939… First mission station in Ichofu, China in 1939… Evacuated China to the Philippines in Feb. 1994( ahead of the Japanese)… Interned by Japanese in a concentration camp in Baguio, Philippines in Dec. 1941(with wife and two sons)…liberated by U.S.Army in Feb. 1945…Furloughed and took surgical training in Philadelphia from 1945-47… returned to Tsingtao, China in Sept. 1947…Evacuated to Bangkok, Thailand in Feb. 1949 (ahead of the Communist takeover of China)…and dedicated the Bangkok Christian Hospital in Dec. 1949…retired to Pasadena, CA in 1972…Retired from medical work in 1991. Sadly, his beloved wife Helen died in Aug.2002. Marshall continues to drive the highways, and keeps actively involved in medical and missionary causes. He has three children and spouses, 8 grandchildren and 13 great-grandchildren.. Marshall in his celebration program noted these interesting statistics: “He served as a missionary for 35 years in 3 Asian countries and studied 2 foreign languages; Has crossed the Pacific Ocean one way 22 times; Crossed the Atlantic Ocean one way 4 times; Set foot in 84 count5ries on 6 continents; visited more than 50 different mission hospitals on 4 of those continents; had a license to practice medicine for the past 72 years, though he only practiced actively for 56 of those years; he delivered 1340 babies and preformed or assisted in 8000 surgeries.” Governor Thomas would be so proud of this grandson. I know I am proud to have been able to share his outstanding life with the rest of the family. Enjoy many more joyous celebrations, Marshall. **************************************************** WE WELCOME THE FOLLOWING NEW MEMBERS TO OUR FAMILY GROUP, since the last newsletter:
Zoe L. Gilbertson Florence, AZ (Yes, they are sisters) Sharon K. Larson Florence, AZ “ Rhonda Wells Jensen Plant City, FL (She made it a family affair, see below) Judith E. Mansfield Hamden, CT (Judith attended the reunion 9/07) Karen L. Olson Kenmore, WA Stanley & Nikki Welles Homer, AK Edward Arnold Wells Champaign, IL (Dad to Rhonda Jensen, Edward Scott Wells, Edward Scott Wells Champaign, IL and Ronald Arnold Wells) Ronald Arnold Wells Champaign, IL ****************************************************** From the President’s Desk
November, 2007 Dear Welles Family and Friends, I hope this letter finds you all well. Thanks to all of you who came to our September 29 th Reunion in Glastonbury, Connecticut, it was good to see you again. We had an entertaining and informative presentation given by Ernest R. Shaw, “Hartford – City of Heritage” and learned some new facts about Hartford’s architecture and history. We welcomed Kevin Lantowsky’s suggestion to have our 2008 Reunion in Shelton, Connecticut. It will be October 4th, which is the same weekend as the annual “Shelton Days” and will provide additional activities for any of us planning to spend the weekend. Henry Hunt is working on the Reunion location and hotel accommodations, and the Reunion Planning Committee will meet soon to complete the details. Please put the date on your calendars! Have a Happy Thanksgiving. Best regards,
Karen Simpson