Lena Mae Wells

Lena Mae Polson Wells passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her family on March 1, 2015 at the age of 104 years, 4 months and 25 days. She was born October 4, 1910 at Masham, Oklahoma to Henderson Dee Polson and Cora Mae Willard Polson. Lena grew up and attended school in Masham and two years at Pawnee High School. When she was around six to eight years old she and the daughter of Mexican Joe were friends and they played all over the home of Pawnee Bill=s. She has resided in the Pawnee area all her life and never lived more than 11 miles from Pawnee. Before she was married, she worked as a housekeeper and nanny in Pawnee. On December 24, 1932, Lena married Clifford Lynn Wells and Brother Hitt officiated the ceremony in his home. They were married almost 61 years until his death November 23, 1993. Clifford and Lena=s first home north of Pawnee has jokingly been described, Athat the walls had cracks big enough you could throw a cat through them.@ Clifford and Lena raised cattle, farmed, raised turkeys, chickens, hogs, milked cows and sold milk, cream and eggs, to make a living. It was always a team effort. In 1949, through hard work and perseverance, Lena and Clifford were able to buy a farm and build a home southeast of Pawnee. They continued to milk cows and raise chickens but the biggest joy was raising Black Angus cows and calves. Improving the land gave Lena and Clifford a feeling of accomplishment and pride. They believed, AYou need to leave this a better place than you found it.@ Lena remained on the farm until her death. The last few years she has had some wonderful ladies that have assisted her and made her life happy and comfortable. Lena was a member of the First Baptist Church of Masham. In the latter years of her life, she attended Pawnee First Baptist Church. She has been an Eastern Star Lodge member since the early 1940's. Through the years she assisted her community by serving on the school board, election board, taking Federal census several years, heart and cancer drives, etc. She was a member of the Pleasant View social club and Bide-A-Wee sewing club. Her hobbies have been gardening, canning, crafts, and fishing, and she has taken all her grandchildren fishing many times. She especially loved cooking and having all her family gathered around the table. Lena was a very good shot with a .410 shotgun which her dad gave her at 16. One snowy winter day she killed 13 rabbits and made delicious sausage for the family. Being a wife, mother, homemaker, grandmother and great-grandmother was always a priority and delight in her life. There was never a time you went to her home that you were not invited to eat and visit. She was preceded in death by her husband, Clifford, their first child, a boy, that died at birth and her parents Dee and Cora Polson, She is survived by her children: Lynn Wells and his wife, Carolyn, of Pawnee, and LaVerne Rogers and husband, Max Rogers of Cleveland; three grandchildren: Joyce Wells of Glencoe; David Rogers and wife, Sherri, of Mannford; Mark Rogers of Aurora, Oregon, and great grandchildren: Erica Wells of Glencoe; Nathan Wells of Tulsa; Colin Rogers and wife, Courtney, of Tulsa and Lauren Rogers of Mannford. She is also survived by one sister-in-law, Revae Gray of Pawnee, and many nieces and nephews and friends. Services will be held at the Pawnee First Baptist Church, Friday, March 6 at 2:00 pm with Brother Bob Copeland and Brother John Coker officiating. Interment will be at Masham Cemetery, Masham, Oklahoma under the direction of Poteet Funeral Home and Cremation Services in Pawnee, Oklahoma. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a memorial to the Pawnee First Baptist Church, 720 6th Street, Pawnee, OK 74058; Eastern Star Charity Foundation, GI Wishes Pets for Vets, 1415 North Walnut Street, Guthrie, OK 73044 or any charity of your choice.