Elizabeth Eloise Wells

December 21, 1924 – May 19, 2013

Marina – Elizabeth E. Wells, known to friends by her middle name Eloise – passed away peacefully on May 19, 2013, with her son and daughter-in-law by her side. She was 88 years old. Eloise was a 56 year resident of the Monterey Peninsula, settling first in Seaside from 1956 to 1973, and Marina from 1973 to 2011. She spent the last year and a half living with her son and daughter-in-law in Seaside.

Eloise was born in the Western Kentucky coal mining town of Providence to her parents Thomas and Mabel Woolfolk. She had two siblings, a sister Verna and a brother Thomas. Her paternal grandparents, both former slaves, established The Woolfolk School after the Civil war that was the first school in Kentucky to educate children of former slaves. The school is listed in the Kentucky State Archives. In carrying out the educational example and legacy of her grandparents, Eloise was Valedictorian of her graduating class at Rosenwald High School and through twelve years of school, never received a grade lower than an A.

Shortly after high school, she married James Mason and from that union a son, Melvin, was born. She worked for many years as an agent and then District Manager for Mammoth Life Insurance Company, one of this country’s first Black insurance companies. She received numerous commendations for her work as an agent and manager. She was a retired manager for Rea Cleaners in New Monterey. She was a child prodigy pianist. She was overheard by her mother one day playing the piano in her home living room. She was three years old and without any piano lessons, was playing along with a song she heard on the radio. Her mother hurriedly enrolled her with a local music teacher who was amazed that Eloise played through 12 years of music lessons in less than six months. Considering her musical abilities a “Gift from God”, she refused to accept pay from the churches for which she played. At age 15, she became the pianist and music director for her first church Cumberland Presbyterian Church in Providence. After her marriage ended, she accepted an invitation to move to this area from her sister and brother-in-law who were stationed at Fort Ord. She, her recently widowed father and her young son Melvin moved to Seaside in 1956. Eloise’s skill as a pianist became widely known in this area as a pianist and music director first as pianist and music director for Hays Christian Methodist Episcopal Church in Seaside from 1956 to the late 1970’s and in later years at First Baptist Church in Marina. While at Hays CME Church, she collaborated with musicians from churches from different denominations to form the historic Confederation of Choirs which put on special concerts during special holidays and celebrations. She often spoke of that era and the people and churches involved with great fondness.

From 1956 until the late 1960’s, she worked at the Fort Ord Laundry, then one of the few places where Black women could find work in this area. Many friendships developed between the women that lasted throughout their lives. In 1958, she married Walker Wells, who was also stationed at Fort Ord and the best friend of her brother-in-law Robert Sloan. That union lasted four days short of fifty years when Walker passed away in October of 2008. A devoutly Christian woman, she lived out her strong belief that those who are fortunate in life have an obligation to help those who are not. As a young Black woman in her hometown during the era of Jim Crow segregation, she took it upon herself to personally provide food to a number of poor white families who had been shunned by the more well off white families in that town. She was recipient of a special commendation from a school for Lakota (Sioux) children to which she had made numerous contributions. She was a strong role model and supporter for many Black girls and young women in this area. She was also a Life Member of the NAACP.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Walker Wells, her nephew Joseph Sloan and her sister Dr. Verna Woolfolk-Sloan. She is survived by her brother Thomas (Barbara) Woolfolk of Calumet City, Illinois; her son Mel (Regina) Mason of Seaside; grandsons Melvin Mason, Jr. of Marina and Hasani Mason of Seaside; “surrogate granddaughter” Candice Carroll of Sacramento; great nephew Joseph Sloan, Jr. of Atlanta, Georgia; nieces Sheila (Glen) Stewart, Natalie Ricks and Angela (William) Harris of Chicago; great nieces; two great great nieces and one great great nephew all from Chicago; a host of extended family and friends and a Goddaughter Debbie Sweet.

The family would like to express its heartfelt gratitude to her primary care physician Dr. Radhika Mohandas for the caring and respectful manner in which she treated our Mother, to the staff of Central Coast Hospice for for the kindness and comfort they gave to our family and to Daisy Mathis, Doris Ellis, Elyssa Lucero, Linda Moore and Evelyn Davis, the wonderful caregivers who took such good care of our Mother.

Viewing will be on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, 4:00pm to 8:00pm at Bayside Community Mortuary, 1610 Noche Buena Street, Seaside. Home Going services will be held on Thursday, May 30, 2013 at Friendship Baptist Church, 1440 Broadway Avenue, Seaside. Burial will take place at Mission Memorial Park in Seaside.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Village Project, Inc., P.O. Box 127, Seaside, CA 93955.