Gail Clarence Wells

Born: August 21, 1931 Tacoma, Washington

Died: 1978 Oregon (truck wreck)

Buried: Othello, Washington

PARENTS: Lloyd Stephen Wells

Nora Bell Barlow Wells

BROTHERS: LeRoy

SISTERS: Duella, Lorraine and Eleanor

SPOUSE: Ardith Crook

INFORMATION: Told and Written by Jim

PERSONAL HISTORY

Herbert Hoover was president when Bill was born. When his parents lived in Graham, and not too far from Tacoma Bill was born. He was nicked named Bill right at the start. His sister Marie was already dead, from a terrible accident, at a shivery. When Bill was 5 months old another sister, Dolly died of Pneumonia, which was helped along because of her TB.

Couple few years after Bill was born, they moved to Rainier Washington. This was Depression time and they went through it pretty well. Around this time the family became Seventh Day Adventist. The family were farmers and worked in the woods as loggers. Bill enjoyed the farm, he had horses and lots of animals to occupy his time. At one time his Dad and Brother Buster were farming together on a farm in Tenino. Of course Bill was teased and tormented by his brother. Buster told bill that if he god his horse, old Dan, in shape, he would take them to the horse races at the county fair. Of course Bill didn’t realize that Old Dan was old and lame. His sister in law Gladys finally told him that he was wasting his time. Bill did get even though. It seemed that one cold morning when it was time to milk the cows that Busters boots had some cow manure inside. Bill said some cows came up on the porch during the night. He knew because he heard them. Bill and his sister had some great times around the farm. They had chores and went to school in Tenino. Buster bought a second hand 22 Springfield single shot rifle for Bill. He fought many wars and Indian battles. He became a crack shot also.

His parents move into Tenino, where Bill and Eleanor went to school. Later they moved to their place in Rainier. It was two miles west of Rainier right on the Fort Lewis Reservation. Eleanor and Bill went to school in Rainier. This gave Bill and everyone the biggest play ground in the world. This is also a good place to cut wood and sell it in town for cash. His dad raised chickens there also. Bill had lots of chores. They raised White Leghorns. They sold hatching eggs to western farmers. Things went pretty good until Bill got hold of some silkies and with in a few months all of the white leghorns chicks had black skins. They were out of business.

Buster built a moved a chicken house on this property and built a house out of it. Bill had a nephews that he could pull all of the tricks that Buster and his Dad had played on him. Jim and Wayne spent lots of time with Eleanor and Bill. Bill taught the boys how to ride horses and shoot his 22 rifle. Bill used to take his Dads car out on the prairie and learned to drive there by his self, with a little encouragement for his brother. Although Bill had had some experience driving a lot earlier. He and his brother were out on the prairie once and Buster caught on of their horses out there. So Bill at the age of 5 or 6 drove the car home while Buster rode the horse home, and this was frowned on by their mother. It didn’t leave much of a impression on them, because in a few days Bill was driving again, and was a lot wiser, he didn’t tell his mother.

Bill started school at the Adventist Academy in Auburn. In 1949 his parents moved to a home in Algona Washington. Bill moved home and drove back and forth to school each day. Bill met a girl there named Ardith Crook. After a period of time and on Bill nephews Jim’s birthday June 9th, and in Eastern Washington were Married.