John W Wells Laid To Rest Among Other Heroes

SANTA NELLA - Former Madera mayor and city councilman John W Wells was laid to rest Monday at the San Joaquin National Cemetery in Santa Nella, California.

Wells was the longest serving council member for the city of Madera first running in 1962. He lost that election but two years later the voters of Madera gave him his seat on the council. He held that seat until 1977. During his first stint on the council Wells served as Madera Mayor three times.

Fourteen years later, in 1990, Wells decided it was time to return to the city council and the voters agreed. During his second stint on the council Wells would serve five more times for Madera as mayor until being voted out in 2006. In all, Wells served 27 years on the Madera City Council.

However, service to Madera was not the first time Wells would dedicate himself to others. Captain John Wells served in the United States Army in Germany and Korea. During the Korean Conflict Wells was awarded the Purple Heart for bullet wounds he suffered while serving as an infantry officer.

After Wells was patched up in a hospital in Japan, her returned to the battle field as an airborne forward artillery officer. He served in Korea until the end of the conflict.

Upon returning home to Madera he became a teacher in Fairmead. He then moved to Howard School in the Madera Unified School District until 1985 before retiring in 1987. He then served as a substitute teacher at Madera High School.

Mr. Wells was proceeded in death by two of his sisters, Rosie and Vena, and one of his brothers, James. He is survived by his wife Bette S. Wells, his children Gay Richards and her husband David, John Mark Wells and his wife Anita and Melanie Black, plus his three grandchildren, TJ Marquez, John Michael Wells and Andrea Wells. He is also survived by four sisters, Eva, Betty, Marie and Barbara, and one brother, Arthur.

The family asks that any remembrances be made to the reader's favorite charity.