Donald James WELLS

    Donald James Wells was born September 17, 1929 and lived a very productive life of 94 years.  He managed his own farm right up until his passing on March 6, 2024 at the Elrose Health Centre. Don was the only son of John Hunter Wells and Marjory (McKenzie) born in Lucky Lake Hospital as Hunter was the agent for the Security Lumber Company at Beechy. Don had an older sister, Islay, born in 1922.  In 1935, in the Depression Years, they returned to the farm at Landis, where Hunter had homesteaded in 1906.  Don and Islay went to school in Landis. 

  At 10 years old, Don tore apart a whole engine and put it back together to running condition. Don listed in his funeral book ‘farm machinery’ as his favorite thing. 

  Don attended school until he was the only boy in his class, so he quit, in Grade 8 or 9, much to his mother’s disgust, as she was a school teacher.  Hunter told Don that he’d better get to work, if he wasn’t going to finish school so Don immediately went to work at the Palo Salt Mine.  Hunter thought that his son should learn a work ethic, so he took on the job of breaking a quarter section of land, with a 4 foot one-way, which Don completed.  When anyone ever complained about an implement being too small, Don would reply “Better than a 4 foot one-way!”  In 1949, they sold the farm at Landis, and moved to north of Elrose, to be closer to their daughter Islay and her husband Doug Graber.  Don worked on the farm and at Hunt Graber’s Garage in Elrose where his passion for mechanicing became evident. 

  One evening, after he had spied Viola Wisse, with her sister, Joyce, around Elrose, Don asked Wayne Leys to introduce them.  They courted and were married at the Wisse Farm, south of Hughton, on September 29, 1953.  From then forward they worked as a finely matched team for 63 plus years.

  Don quit working in Hunt Graber to drive a Grader for the RM of Monet.  In 1955 Don and Vi purchased the Blake Madill farm.    Don quit the RM in the spring of 1956 and was seeding the Madill place the next day, in the East Gap district, south east of Elrose.  The Jones, Thompsons, Jennetts, Morrisons, Ericksons,  Rudds, Andersons, Argues, McCulloughs and Stephensons were the best neighbors they could ask for.  Don & Vi raised cows, chickens and pigs.  Amy was born in 1957 making their family complete. 

  Don built his own welder before they were available to purchase.  He then built a cab on a tractor, his own rotary snow plough and big cement mixer.   Vi’s asks and requests, whether it be in the house or around the farm were never too much for Don‘s creativity to accomplish.  It might take awhile. 

 In 1960, Don and Vi bought the Sleepy Hollow school from north of Beechy and had it moved to their farm for their home. A few years later they bought the East Gap school from Wiseton and brought it to the yard to use as a workshop for Don. The East Gap School sits one section west of where it was originally built. 

  In 1967, Bill Thompson and Don bought a brand new Massey combine and started to harvest together, saving their wives from having to drive truck.  They purchased a number of new combines together over the years until Bill Thompson quit farming.  In 1972 Don engineered and built a crib elevator, with a drive-over pit and leg.  Don liked to go fishing at Flotten, every spring with Charlie Jones and Bill Thompson and later with their wives also.  In the early 1980’s Don’s uncle, John McKenzie gave Don his steel lathe.  What he could not fix earlier, he could now build.    He bought a backhoe and scraper so he could build many dams and dugouts on his own land, because they wanted their own supply of water.  All the power, gas, telephone and water lines are buried in his yard. 

  In 1987 there were grasshoppers and a severe drought, at the East Gap farm, so they went north in search of feed for the cattle and found and bought their land at Meadow Lake, in the Four Corners district.  Don grew canola at the Meadow Lake farm so he decided to try it at the home farm and it was a success, so he put in into his rotation.

  Grandson, Bill, farmed with Don and Vi from 2003 to 2009.  In 2009, at age 80 Don, sold his machinery by auction.  He purchased a side-by-side so he could easily check his land and he loved to chauffeur his great granddaughters, Autumn and Lilly around. 

  Don was an RM of Monet  Councillor for 11 years and on the Elrose United Church Board of Stewards, plus many other boards over the years.

  There was never a dull moment as Don was always building or planning to build something.  But Don never lost interest in the accomplishments of his grandsons, Jay’s plumbing and computer programming or Bill’s farming and electrical.

  We will be eternally grateful for his 94 years on this earth, and all the things that he accomplished and did and gave and loved us as his daughter, his grandsons and his great granddaughters and especially Allison. Allison spent hours talking to him, and telling him of the antics in the north country.

  Don enjoyed his time at Elrose Health Centre as he sat with Doug Woodworth, a long time friend.  They spent their last days together. 

    Don is predeceased by his wife, Vi, in 2017; his parents; parents-in-law John and Elizabeth Wisse; his sister and brother-in-law Islay and Doug Graber; in-laws Doreen Wisse, Joyce and Donald Forgie, Joe Schmidt, and Alex Elliott; special aunts and uncles Jean & Hector MacLeod and John & Lucille McKenzie; and nephew Rocky Graber.

  Don is survived by his daughter Amy Anne; grandson James; grandson William and his wife Allison and great granddaughters Autumn Anne and Lillian Viola; sisters-in-law Mary Elliott and Betty Schmidt; cousin Laura Longacres; and her husband Garry; nephew Kent Graber (Linda) and niece Barb and Craig Neumeier and their families, plus many more nieces and nephews.  Don was exceptionally lucky to have 2 neighbors sons, who became like his own, Evan Jones and Kent Jones, who have farmed his land since 2009.  He enjoyed helping them, and Gabe and Devon, whether it be fixing or driving them to and from the fields as much as he could over the last 15 years.

  Don’s Mottos were: “Do the best you can where you are with what you have now!!” “Tell the Truth” And “God helps those who help themselves”, and he certainly did that all of his life!!

  Thank you so much to all of the Staff at RUH, Rosetown Health Centre and the Elrose Health Centre: 

BELIEVE…

Believe in yourself, healthcare workers, for each, and everyone of you counts, and makes a great deal of difference in the world of those you care for. AND Believe that each and every act of kindness that you do, does make a difference for those you are caring for and in our world as a whole.  You Make a DIFFERENCE!!

    Thank you to Shanidar Funeral Services for their excellent help, to Pastor Linda Hall, the Elrose Community Choir, music by Brenda Fredrickson and Alma Copeland, and the Elrose United Church Lunch Group for the excellent Memorial Service for Don held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at the Elrose United Church!!  Thanks so much for all the support and condolences shown through visits, texts, emails, facebook comments, cards, hugs,  bountiful donations, and beautiful flowers from our communities!!  We truly appreciate everyone!!

 The Service to Celebrate Don’s life was held at 2:00 p.m. from the Elrose United Church on Saturday, April 27, 2024 with Pastor Linda Hall officiating. 

Donations in Don’s memory to the Elrose Health Centre Auxiliary (Activity Dept.), P.O. Box 100, Elrose, SK S0L 0Z0 would be graciously appreciated by the family.