George Jason Wells, the first white boy born in Box Elder County, Utah, was born August 23, 1851 in the back of a wagon box. That was the first year his parents, Lyman Briggs and Bethiah Fordham Wells, lived in Willow Creek, a small community they helped to found, along with Lyman's father, Jonathan, and brother-in-law John McCrary (The name Willow Creek was changed to Willard in 1859 in honor of Willard Richards).
George was Lyman and Bethiah's second son. He grew up in Willard and lived there all of his life. He lived most of his life in the same house his grandfather, Jonathan Wells built in the early 1850s in the center of town. He attended school in Willard, probably up until the eighth grade.
His children remember him as a very honest man, who never got mad, but most of all they remember him for his generosity. George and his wife Magdelena were constantly feeding someone. George always said that he would rather give someone the shirt off his back than to have them steal it from him. He expected his children to be honest also. He lived by the old cliche' "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
He was an averaged-sized man, around six feet tall. He was kind-of on the thin side, but not too thin. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair and he always wore a mustache. From the looks of his pictures he must have been a good-looking man.
He did a lot of freighting up into Montana for months at a time. When he finally decided to settle down and get married he chose Magdelena Miller for his bride. He was 44 years old and she was only 20. They were married in the Logan Temple June 6, 1895. They were the parents of four boys and three girls. Two sons died while they were quite young.
George was the constable of Willard for more than 30 years. He was a farmer by trade, having beef and dairy cows.
As far as hobbies go- he liked to dance and he danced a lot. He was a member of the LDS Church but he wasn't very active. He did insist that his children attend and he would go if they participated in any way. However, he did make sure he was a full tithe payer.
He died at his home on Wednesday, September 10, 1930 of an illness caused by ulcers. He was survived by his wife, five grown children and six grandchildren. He was buried on Sunday, September 14 in the Willard Cemetery next to his father and mother in the Wells section of the cemetery. He was 79 years old.
Written by a great-granddaughter, Sherry Wells Brown
November 18, 1985
George was Lyman and Bethiah's second son. He grew up in Willard and lived there all of his life. He lived most of his life in the same house his grandfather, Jonathan Wells built in the early 1850s in the center of town. He attended school in Willard, probably up until the eighth grade.
His children remember him as a very honest man, who never got mad, but most of all they remember him for his generosity. George and his wife Magdelena were constantly feeding someone. George always said that he would rather give someone the shirt off his back than to have them steal it from him. He expected his children to be honest also. He lived by the old cliche' "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
He was an averaged-sized man, around six feet tall. He was kind-of on the thin side, but not too thin. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair and he always wore a mustache. From the looks of his pictures he must have been a good-looking man.
He did a lot of freighting up into Montana for months at a time. When he finally decided to settle down and get married he chose Magdelena Miller for his bride. He was 44 years old and she was only 20. They were married in the Logan Temple June 6, 1895. They were the parents of four boys and three girls. Two sons died while they were quite young.
George was the constable of Willard for more than 30 years. He was a farmer by trade, having beef and dairy cows.
As far as hobbies go- he liked to dance and he danced a lot. He was a member of the LDS Church but he wasn't very active. He did insist that his children attend and he would go if they participated in any way. However, he did make sure he was a full tithe payer.
He died at his home on Wednesday, September 10, 1930 of an illness caused by ulcers. He was survived by his wife, five grown children and six grandchildren. He was buried on Sunday, September 14 in the Willard Cemetery next to his father and mother in the Wells section of the cemetery. He was 79 years old.
Written by a great-granddaughter, Sherry Wells Brown
November 18, 1985
George Jason Wells, the first white boy born in Box Elder County, Utah, was born August 23, 1851 in the back of a wagon box. That was the first year his parents, Lyman Briggs and Bethiah Fordham Wells, lived in Willow Creek, a small community they helped to found, along with Lyman's father, Jonathan, and brother-in-law John McCrary (The name Willow Creek was changed to Willard in 1859 in honor of Willard Richards).
George was Lyman and Bethiah's second son. He grew up in Willard and lived there all of his life. He lived most of his life in the same house his grandfather, Jonathan Wells built in the early 1850s in the center of town. He attended school in Willard, probably up until the eighth grade.
His children remember him as a very honest man, who never got mad, but most of all they remember him for his generosity. George and his wife Magdelena were constantly feeding someone. George always said that he would rather give someone the shirt off his back than to have them steal it from him. He expected his children to be honest also. He lived by the old cliche' "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
He was an averaged-sized man, around six feet tall. He was kind-of on the thin side, but not too thin. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair and he always wore a mustache. From the looks of his pictures he must have been a good-looking man.
He did a lot of freighting up into Montana for months at a time. When he finally decided to settle down and get married he chose Magdelena Miller for his bride. He was 44 years old and she was only 20. They were married in the Logan Temple June 6, 1895. They were the parents of four boys and three girls. Two sons died while they were quite young.
George was the constable of Willard for more than 30 years. He was a farmer by trade, having beef and dairy cows.
As far as hobbies go- he liked to dance and he danced a lot. He was a member of the LDS Church but he wasn't very active. He did insist that his children attend and he would go if they participated in any way. However, he did make sure he was a full tithe payer.
He died at his home on Wednesday, September 10, 1930 of an illness caused by ulcers. He was survived by his wife, five grown children and six grandchildren. He was buried on Sunday, September 14 in the Willard Cemetery next to his father and mother in the Wells section of the cemetery. He was 79 years old.
Written by a great-granddaughter, Sherry Wells Brown
November 18, 1985
George was Lyman and Bethiah's second son. He grew up in Willard and lived there all of his life. He lived most of his life in the same house his grandfather, Jonathan Wells built in the early 1850s in the center of town. He attended school in Willard, probably up until the eighth grade.
His children remember him as a very honest man, who never got mad, but most of all they remember him for his generosity. George and his wife Magdelena were constantly feeding someone. George always said that he would rather give someone the shirt off his back than to have them steal it from him. He expected his children to be honest also. He lived by the old cliche' "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
He was an averaged-sized man, around six feet tall. He was kind-of on the thin side, but not too thin. He had blue eyes and dark brown hair and he always wore a mustache. From the looks of his pictures he must have been a good-looking man.
He did a lot of freighting up into Montana for months at a time. When he finally decided to settle down and get married he chose Magdelena Miller for his bride. He was 44 years old and she was only 20. They were married in the Logan Temple June 6, 1895. They were the parents of four boys and three girls. Two sons died while they were quite young.
George was the constable of Willard for more than 30 years. He was a farmer by trade, having beef and dairy cows.
As far as hobbies go- he liked to dance and he danced a lot. He was a member of the LDS Church but he wasn't very active. He did insist that his children attend and he would go if they participated in any way. However, he did make sure he was a full tithe payer.
He died at his home on Wednesday, September 10, 1930 of an illness caused by ulcers. He was survived by his wife, five grown children and six grandchildren. He was buried on Sunday, September 14 in the Willard Cemetery next to his father and mother in the Wells section of the cemetery. He was 79 years old.
Written by a great-granddaughter, Sherry Wells Brown
November 18, 1985
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