Louise Wells

Louise Cecelia Keller Wells, a Decatur resident, died Sunday, October 31, 2010.Mrs. Wells was born to James Ignatius Keller and Louise Huber Keller on August 22, 1915, in Sainte Marie, Jasper County, Illinois, the seventh of ten children. She was baptized on August 22, 1915, in Assumption Church by Reverend P.J. Virnich. She was confirmed on April 1, 1923. She was raised in a brick house in a wooded area above the river on the sand hills east of Sainte Marie called The Ridge.Louise attended two years of high school in Sainte Marie and in 1932 attended Browns Business College in Decatur. During the Depression, she worked in an office for $7 a week. She and her eventual husband, Arthur, met on a blind date in 1933.Louise was married to Arthur Merlin Wells on July 5, 1940, in Davenport, Iowa, and lived with Arthur in Decatur and Seal Beach, California, for nearly 65 years until Arthurs death on March 30, 2005.Louise modestly claimed that most of her activities during 65 years of marriage centered around her family. When the children were young, she was deeply involved with Brownie scouts, boy scouts, YMCA and 4-H.In 1965, Louise was recognized by the Decatur Public Library for contributing services to the advancement of reading in the City of Decatur. She was recognized in 1996 with a Life Membership in the Illinois Congress of Parents and Teachers. She has been associated with the Garden Club of Decatur for many years. She and Arthur were members of the First United Methodist Church for many years. While living in Seal Beach, California, for 17 years, they attended Dr. Robert A. Schullers Crystal Cathedral in Garden Grove, California.She is survived by a sister, Mary Kathryn Wait in Seal Beach, California; a brother, Arthur in Sainte Marie, Illinois; three children, David Merlin Wells of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia; Alan Keller Wells of New York, New York; and Sara W. Rawson of Greenwich, Connecticut; nine grandchildren; and twelve great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Arthur M. Wells; sisters, Bertha Geiger, Beatrice Myers, Bernice Keller, Elaine Hannon; her brothers, Frank, Marion and Herman; and daughter Marabeth W. Young.Funeral services will be 10:00 A.M. Thursday, November 4, 2010, at Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Home. Visitation will be 5-7 P.M. Wednesday, November 3, at the funeral home. Burial will be in Mt. Gilead Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to: St. Johns Hospice, Decatur, Illinois 62526 or Kemmerer Village, Assumption, Illinois 62510.Many people knew our mother only as a senior citizen. We knew her in all the seasons of her life. And there was beauty and dignity in every season.By going forward with a strong and forgiving hear, Louise Wells not only secured her husbands legacy, she built her own. Having loved a leader, she became a leader.Love of trees and flowers.There was beauty and dignity. Condolences may be left to the family at www.brintlingerandearl.com "
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