The Andrews Journal - 30 Jul 2009
William Wells
Wednesday, July 29, 2009 9:09 PM CDT William Wells William "Bill" Javan Wells, 82, of Murphy passed away Wednesday, July 22, 2009 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
    Bill was born Sept. 22, 1926 in Murphy, to the late Roy H. Wells and Nancy Davis Wells. He was husband of the late Jeanne Stiles Wells, who died Sept. 9, 2001. He also was preceded in death by his brother, Hubert Wells.
    Bill is survived by his loving wife, Dianne Rogers Wells of the home; children, Betty J. Roberson and husband, Haskel of Murphy, Roy Wells and wife, Susan of Murphy, Sarah Sisson and husband, David of Blue Ridge, Ga., and Lee McKeon and husband, Kenny of Murphy; a stepdaughter, Courtney Allen and friend, Trevor Grant of Marble; grandchildren, Mary Ledford and husband, Ron, Bill and Erin Wells, and Brooklyn, Brice and Bailey McKeon; great grandchildren, Trent and Hope Ledford; and sisters, Ella Jean Wells of Murphy and Nancy Wallace of Knoxville, Tenn.
    Bill graduated from Murphy High School in 1944, entering the U.S. Navy where he took part in the Okinawa Campaign.
    He returned to Murphy to start a lifelong career as a businessman. In the early 1950s, he started a dairy farm followed by a hatching egg and seed corn production business.
    In the 1960s, after purchasing a Daffin Mobile Mill, he traveled the Tri-State area grinding farmers' corn. In 1963, he began a small plumbing business and in 1965, he partnered with a dear friend, Charles H. West, to form Wells and West, Inc.
    The collaboration has strived to recruit new industry for Cherokee County and allowed for the first shopping center to be established in the 1970s.
    In May 2009, N.C. Department of Transportation dedicated the bridge that joins family farms as the William J. Wells Bridge.
    Bill was an avid pilot and a member of the Cherokee Masonic Lodge #146 for 53 years. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Church of Murphy.
    His community services include Murphy Town Council, N.C. Community Foundation Board, Economic Development Board and Job Security Employment Commission. His hobbies included farming corn, soybeans, pumpkins, gardening sunflowers, boating and spending time on Mission Farm.
    Visitation was 6-8 p.m., Friday, July 24, at the Ivie Funeral Home Chapel in Murphy and funeral services were 11 a.m. Saturday, July 25, at First United Methodist Church. The Rev. George Yates officiated. Burial was at Wells & West Perpetual Gardens with Masonic graveside rites conducted by the Cherokee Masonic Lodge #146.
    Pallbearers were Fred Carson, Tom Johnson, Noland Smith, Kenny Rogers, Jerry Rogers and Larry Kernea. Honorary pallbearers were the Murphy Town Council, W.T. Mauldin, Rev. Jimmy Rogers, John Carringer, Horace Cannon and Gene Clayton.
    In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be made in memory of William "Bill" Javan Wells to Shriners Hospital for Children, 950 West Faris Road, Greenville, S.C. 29605, or the First United Methodist Church of Murphy, PO Box 86, Murphy, N.C. 28906.
    Ivie Funeral Home, Murphy is in charge of arrangements.
    An online guest register is available at "Obituaries" at iviefuneralhome.com.