Helen May RICE WELLS

Raymond
Sept 22, 1924-Feb 3, 2014
Raymond E. Wells was born on September 22, 1924 in Turner, Maine, to Flavius and Doris (Kimball) Wells.

Raymond lived in Charleston, Arkansas in 1978.

Raymond was a retired educator including 2 years as a teacher at Farmington, 12 years as teacher, principal, and superintendent at Lavaca and 22 years as principal of Greenwood Junior High School.

Education was very important to Raymond. He requested a deferment of his deployment in order to finish his high school degree, and received his degree six months later from Edward Little High School in Auburn, Maine. Following his return, he attended two years at Arkansas Tech University in Russelville before transferring to the University of Arkansas to finish his degree. Raymond went on to receive a masters degree in education which he put to good use. He served thirty-six years as an educator in the state of Arkansas. He was a member of the Arkansas Education Association, National Education Association, and, following his retirement, the Franklin County Retired Teachers Association. Raymond was well respected at every school at which he served. After he retired, Greenwood Junior High School renamed the school in his honor. Raymond was also inducted into the Greenwood Education Hall of Honor as well as being recognized by the Arkansas Association of Administration for thirty-six years of outstanding leadership and service to education in Arkansas.

Raymond was a longtime member of the Charleston First United Methodist Church and served in many leadership capacities including Sunday School superintendent, church treasurer, and church secretary, for which he was honored by the congregation for seventeen and a half years of service.

Raymond was a 50 year member of the Charleston Masonic Lodge #155.

Raymond had his private pilot's license and enjoyed building his own RV6A airplane which he flew to Maine twice. He also was a charter member of the Experimental Aircraft Association chapter at Etna, AR as well as the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. At the time of his death he was building a RV12 with his son Kendal. In addition to his love of flying he also enjoyed beekeeping. He kept hives of honeybees since he was a teenager. As he was able, he enjoyed growing a large garden and especially enjoyed a successful garden in the summer of 2013 with his grandson, Mason.

Raymond was a veteran of World War II having served in the Army Air Corps as a B24 waist gunner/ball turret gunner in the European Theatre, flying out of Norwich, England. It was on one of his breaks during the war that he met his beloved wife Helen.

Survivors at the time of his death included his wife of 67 years, Helen of the home; three sons, Stanley and wife Jeanne, Kendal and wife Lavon, and Mitchell and wife Jill; eight grandchildren, Emily Hester and husband Raydodd, Mason Wells, Amanda and Dana Wells, and Wesley, Delaney, Henley, and Remy Wells.

A service was held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 7, 2014, at the First United Methodist Church of Charleston and the burial took place at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Charleston under the direction of Smith Mortuary of Charleston. Pallbearers were Mike Passmore, Marty Sikes, Roger Meredith, Ronnie Teague, Carl Underwood, Vondal Moore, Ashley Whitman, and Damon Sadler. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Ford Sunday School Class.

Helen
Aug 3, 1926-July 16, 2016
Helen May Wells, 89, of Charleston passed away Saturday, July 16, 2016, in Fort Smith.
She was born in the Marietta community in what is now Fort Chaffee to Roy Rice and Blanche Delaney Rice.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 67 years, Raymond; and a sister, Faye Whittington.

Helen was a retired educator, having taught for 28 years at schools in Branch, Dardanelle, Farmington and Charleston, from where she retired. She was a member of the Arkansas Education Association, National Education Association and, following her retirement, the Franklin County Retired Teachers Association and Arkansas Retired Teachers Association. Helen was also a member of Charleston Chapter No. 16 Order of the Eastern Star for more than 50 years. Helen was a long time member of First United Methodist Church in Charleston, where she taught Sunday school, was a charter member of Ford Sunday school class, and was church historian. She also served on the District Historical Committee of United Methodist Church. As a teacher, Helen received two national awards for the teaching of economics, including a first-place award from the National Council on Economic Education. Upon retirement, Helen pursued a hobby of china painting and completed many beautiful pieces.

Survivors include three sons, Stanley and wife Jeanne of Charleston, Kendal and wife Lavon of Cabot and Mitchell and wife Jill of Charleston; eight grandchildren, Emily Hester and husband Raydodd, Mason Wells, Amanda and Dana Wells, and Wesley, Delaney, Henley and Remy Wells; and three great-granddaughters, Patterson Rae and Evelyn Ann Hester and Samantha Shea Wells; a brother-in-law, Paul Whittington; and four nieces, Elizabeth Passmore, Margaret Meredith, Jennifer Sikes, and Calla Wells.

The service will be 10 a.m. Wednesday at First United Methodist Church in Charleston with the burial at Garden of Memories Cemetery in Charleston under the direction of Smith Mortuary in Charleston.

Pallbearers will be Mason Wells, Wesley Wells, Henley Wells, Remy Wells, Raydodd Hester and Weston Passmore.
Honorary pallbearers will be members of Ford Sunday school class.

Contributed on 7/2/17 by bill060
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Record #: 1187729

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