Obit: Wells, Burton H. (1870 - 1960)

Contact: Dolores Mohr Kenyon

Email: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Wells, Pettengill, Carver, Shumway, MacKinzie, Hamsem, Curtis, Fravert, Lloyd, Eberhardt, Thompson, Ingold, Peterson, Hauge, Meier, Janke, Feig, Musil, Holmes

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 17, 1960

Wells, Burton (14 March 1870 - 14 March 1960)

Burton Wells, who died on his 90^th birthday Monday, will be buried today on his wedding anniversary.

Mr. Wells, a widely-known and long-time resident of Neillsville, died from a heart attack about noon Monday while waiting to see a niece at the bus depot here.

Funeral services will be conducted this (Thursday) afternoon from the Georgas Funeral Home at 2:00 p.m.  The Rev. Virgil Holmes, pastor of the Methodist Church, will be in charge, and burial will be made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Members of the Methodist Church, of which he had long been a member, had planned a supper and program tonight in recognition of Mr. Wells’ 90^th birthday.  The event has been cancelled.

Mr. Wells was born March 14, 1870, in Dodge County to Mathias and Alberta (Pettengill) Wells.  He came with his parents to Clark County as a small child, and was engaged in farming in the Town of Pine Valley for 45 years.

He moved to Neillsville in 1916, and resided on Court Street for many years.  He was employed for 18 years by the late H. H. Eberhardt.  After he "retired" he operated an upholstery shop at his home and did some carpentry work and cabinet making.

Mr. Wells was an ardent horticulturist and took great pride and pleasure in his flower gardens.

He served with Company A, 3^rd Wisconsin Regiment, a fore-runner of the present local national guard group, for 19 years and gained the rank of first sergeant.  In that connection he won a medal for marksmanship.

For the last few years he has made his home with a niece, Mrs. Vera Shumway, on West 7^th Street. 

He was married March 17, 1923, to the late Zadie Carver in Sacramento, Calif.

Surviving in the immediate family is a brother, William, of Hamilton, Mont.  Several nieces and nephews also survive.

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) March 24, 1960

Funeral services were conducted Thursday afternoon from the Georgas Funeral Home for Burton H. Wells, 90, of Neillsville, who died of a heart attack on his 90^th birthday.  The Rev. Virgil Holmes of the Methodist Church officiated and burial was made in the Neillsville City Cemetery.

Pallbearers were: Robert Thompson, Roger Ingold, B. H. Peterson, Ed Hauge, William G. Meier and A. C. Janke.

Two hymns, "Face to Face" and "Under His Wings" were sung by Mrs. Virgil Holmes and Herbert Feig, Jr., accompanied by Mrs. Iris Musil.

People from away here for the service were: Miss Edith MacKinzie and Mrs. Jessie MacKinzie, Kenosha; Mrs. Edward Hamsem, Racine; Mr. and Mrs. Carroll Curtis, Mr. and Mrs. Dale Fravert, and Reta Lloyd, Loyal.