Lila "Olene" Wells Lila Olene Wells was born December 1, 1931 in Dixie, Arkansas. Born the youngest daughter of Claude and Annie Coy, she grew up in the farming community of Dixie and was no stranger to hard work. Stories from her upbringing often included tales of hoeing and picking cotton, doing laundry in a wash tub over a fire, and living the farm life of the 30's and 40's Her strong work ethic led her to her career, fresh from high school, at Southwestern Bell Telephone Company where Olene served as a switchboard operator. It was there that she intercepted a call from a young man working the night shift at a service station… and the rest was history. Olene met Henry, fell in love and married in Paragould, Arkansas on February 6, 1960. They began their lives together in Paragould, each with a child from a previous marriage. Three years later, life led them from Paragould, Ark. to Shafter California where John Henry "Hank" Wells ran the Mobile Service Station and Olene devoted her time to raising her family. Olene was an accomplished seamstress, an ever-present room-mother, and the greatest fan a kid could have asked for. Whether it was den mother for Cub Scouts or the Blue Bird Leader, cheering on swimming, football, track, or cheer, Olene NEVER missed an activity involving her children. Caring for every facet of her family was an enormous responsibility and her greatest accomplishment. Olene is preceded in death by her husband, John Henry "Hank" Wells of Shafter, and three of their children: Janelle Pendergrass (Missouri), Terry Wells, and Phillip Wells. Olene is survived by two children, John Brent Wells and Sheila Johnson. **************************************** Tribute Our parents raised our family in Shafter, California. Four kids and two adults in a 1,100 square foot home on Atlantic Avenue. Olene didn't work outside of the home. Not because we didn't need the money; I'm sure it would have come in handy from time to time. But my mom was a stay-at-home mom who felt it was important to be present for her children each and every day after school. Olene was room-mother,, field trip chaperone, PTA member, a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Volunteer Fire Department wife, and chief cook and bottle washer - that was just the beginning. She built a great home for her family and was the first to show up whenever there was a need or a task to be completed. She was fiercely loyal and incredibly protective. Mom sewed many of our clothes, cleaned the house, did endless laundry, and ran errands into the neighboring town. She worked countless hours and seemed to NEVER sit down. Still, Olene wasn't any mild mannered June Cleaver. She raised my three brothers and me to have strong, independent minds- much like her own. That may have been the reason why we always took her seriously when we'd sass her and she'd warn, "You talk to me like that again, and you'll be picking your teeth out of your tonsils." Wisely, we never tested her on that threat. Mostly because she'd follow with, "And that's not a threat. That's a promise." As my parents reached retirement age, my dad underwent a series of health crises that spanned 13 years. From open heart surgery to catching himself on fire while working on our boat; glaucoma and cataract surgeries that left him legally blind in one eye; strokes, heart attacks, and kidney failure requiring dialysis 3 times a week. Dad's health was on a rapid decline. Rather than enjoying the "empty nest" at their disposal, my parents spent a great deal of time at doctors. From the outside looking in one could say that their "golden years" were anything but golden. It's part of why she has always said, "Do things while you have the good health to do them." Right about the time my dad's tired soul decided to rest eternally, my middle brother was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He was 42. My mother was with him when they rolled him into surgery to remove the cancer, and she was there when he awoke and wanted to see his mom and his wife. When it was discovered the operation had gone terribly wrong and my brother was left unable to walk, my mother remained at his side through grueling physical therapy. When the cancer returned to attack his liver, Mom held him as he cried. She often answered the doorbell or the phone in the early pre-dawn hours when my brother "… needed to talk to Momma." She helped nurse him through chemo and radiation, and moved in with him to help his wife care for him when it became clear that his days on this earth were few. During this time, she helped bathe him, soothed him, rubbed his aching limbs and fought with him whenever his independent and willful mind told him he could accomplish more than his body would allow. It was during those times of pain and uncertainty that my brother would look up at my mom through big, sorrowful eyes and say, "Mama, I love you so much. You're always there for me." Indeed, she was there for him, and she held him as cancer took his life and he took his last, labored breath. Lila Olene Wells was a lot of what was right in the world, and we could use more of her brand of wisdom. Even dementia never changed who she was fundamentally. She was sassy, and spunky, determined and independent. I'm grateful, eternally grateful and proud, that she was my mom. Sheila Johnson Graveside services will be private. In lieu of flowers or plants we ask that you choose to honor Olene by bringing joy to those around you. Gift flowers to someone among the living and brighten someone's day. Snap a photo and post the photo to Olene's memory wall at https://www.petersfuneralhomes.com. #bloomsforolene