Obit: Harvey, Mrs. Wells F. (1882 - 1966)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon

E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org

Surnames: Harvey, Robinson, Hancox, Lux, Ender

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI.) 2/24/1966

Harvey, Mrs. Wells F. (26 December 1882 –22 February 1966)

Mother of Press Editor is dead - Services were to be held this (Thursday) afternoon in Winter Haven, Fla., for Mrs. Wells F. Harvey, wife of the publisher of The Clark County Press and mother of the editor.

Mrs. Harvey died at her home in Winter Haven early Monday following an extended illness. The Harvey’s had made their home in Winter Haven for the last three years following annual wintertime visits there during the previous seven years.

Mrs. Harvey was born in White Pigeon, Mich., on December 26, 1882, the daughter of Dr. and Mrs. S. R. Robinson.  Her father was a general practitioner widely known in southern Michigan and in the latter years of his active practice specialized in ear, eye, nose and throat.

She attended Olivet (Mich.) College and taught public school music before her marriage September 7, 1904, to Wells F. Harvey.  The family lived for a time in Grand Rapids, Mich., where Mr. Harvey was connected with the Grand Rapids Herald.  Later they moved to Washington, D. C., where Mr. Harvey was one of the early members of the so-called Washington Press corps.  He wrote for the Booth chain of newspapers in Michigan, for the Tokyo Nichi Nichi and Osaka Shimburn in Japan.

In 1912 the family moved to Big Rapids, Mich., where Mr. Harvey purchased two weekly newspapers, the Pioneer and the Herald, and combined them to establish a daily newspaper, The Big Rapids Pioneer.  He later also acquired the Herald in Reed City, 13 miles north of Big Rapids.

In 1928 he sold his Michigan properties and accepted a position with the Hearst organization, serving briefly as the assistant business manager of the New York Journal and the Los Angeles Times, before assuming the business management of The American Weekly. During this period of about 10 years the family made their home in Rye, N. Y.

The Harveys came to Neillsville in August of 1938, purchasing The Clark County Press from the late August Ender, whose son, William, now owns and publishes the Durand Courier-Wedge.

Mrs. Harvey is survived by: two daughters, Mrs. Robert (Margaret) Hancox of Kansas City, Mo., and Mrs. Robert (Frances) Lux of Harrison, N. Y.; by four sons, E. William of Phoenix Ariz., Robert of Neillsville, Jack of Madison and Dr. Wells F. Harvey, Jr., of Denver, Colo.; and by 13 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

Sons and daughters expected to be present for the services were scheduled to fly there out of Eau Claire shortly after noon Tuesday.