Delores Wells was born March 4, 1930 in Detroit, Michigan to Hardy and Althia Brown. She spent part of the time in Columbia, Louisiana with relatives. She moved to St. Louis, Missouri where she attended Vashon High School and where she met Lawrence “Red” Wells. They dated and later married.
After the birth of three children, Delores wanted to leave St. Louis. At that time her mother, Althia Jones visited St. Louis with her husband, Willie Jones. They had bought a house in Portland, Oregon. Delores, pregnant with her 4th child gave her mother’s namesake (3rd child, Althia) into her keeping and allowed them to take her to Portland, knowing that her husband would follow. When he went to Portland to see his daughter, Delores, her other two children and her new baby girl, Pamela followed.
The Wells family lived in Hudson Homes, in north Portland, before buying the house on Garfield where they lived the rest of their lives. Delores had various jobs, working in a cannery and a nursing home before she found her niche, as a dietician and supervisor at Veteran’s Hospital. Her nickname was the “General”. She gave birth to two additional children in Portland, Richard and Shannon.
Delores was an excellent cook; she was always trying out new recipes, using her children as guinea pigs. She never forced anyone to eat her concoctions. She also sewed making clothes for her family. She was a member of the First Missionary Baptist Church, serving as head of the nurses and in the kitchen. Delores could be found in her kitchen cooking for many of the funerals in the community.
After she retired from Veteran’s Hospital, she spent her time gardening growing everything from tomatoes, corn, greens and everything else she could think of. Each year it was something different. She canned beans, made jams, pickles, ice cream, relishes of various kinds, even made her own wine and champagne. She would call her children and grandchildren over to try out new recipes. We all looked forward to her greens, barbecue ribs and chicken, holiday dinners and nobody could outdo her chicken and dumplings. She also volunteered at Head Start and at King School where all of her children attended.
In the summertime, she and Red traveled to as many jazz festivals as they could find, with their good friends, John and Jean Wilson. She loved traveling and jazz.
Delores is survived by her mother, Althia Henreid, six children, Dedra Gloster, Lawrence Wells, Jr., Althia Wells, Pamela, Wells, Richard Wells, and Shannon Wells, grandchildren, Dionne and James Preston, Danielle Wells, Marcus Thomas, London Wilson-Wells, Kiara Wilson, Chieffouna Shelby, Izaha Ashford, and Javonta Anthony, great grandchildren Anthony & D’Angelo Preston, Malika Harris. She has six brothers and sisters, Leann Adams (decd), Carol Thomas, Josephine Walker, Nina Flowers,
Hardy Walker (decd) and Linya Bedford of Detroit, Michigan as well as numerous nieces and nephews. Her husband of 59 years, Lawrence “Red” Wells preceded her in death.
Arrangements under the direction of Caldwell's, Hennessey, Goetsch & McGee Funeral Home, Portland, OR.
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