Willie F. Wells
Gone Home
Willie F.
Son of Francis E. & Elizabeth B.
Wells
Died Dec 31, 1882,
Aged 15 Years,
7 Mos., 16 Days
This lovely bud, so young so fair,
called hence by early doom,
Just came to show how sweet a flower
in Paradise would bloom.
“Of such is the Kingdom of Heavenâ€
Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales
Biography
This young man is found in the 1880 census records of Nueces County (p. 9B). He is the son of Francis E. Wells and Elizabeth B. Holloway. Willie's father, Francis E. Wells, was born in New Orleans, Louisiana on 2 May 1844 to William E. Wells and Eliza Ann Miltenberger. His married Elizabeth (born about 1850 in Mississippi) on 14 June 1866 in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. According to the 1880 census of Nueces County, both Willie and his sister Carrie were born in Pennsylvania. The family must have been in Pennsylvania for some time since Francis and Elizabeth married there in 1866 and the youngest child was born there about 1871. According to the 1880 census, Francis was an accountant, and he may have moved to Corpus Christi because of his job. The cemetery stone reports that Willie died December 31, 1882. The age listed for him on the stone would indicate that he was born May 15, 1967 so he would have presumably his parent's firstborn (as they were married in June of the previous year 1866). Records give Elizabeth Well's maiden name as "Holloway". This is also the maiden name of Mrs. Tito P. Rivera and Mrs. (Dr.) T. S. Burke. Both the Rivera and Burke families have members buried in Old Bayview. The obit of "Holloway Burke" indicates that Mrs. Rivera and Mrs. Burke were in fact sisters. While the older sister, Louise (Mrs. T. S. Burke) was born in Kentucky like her father, the younger sister (Mrs. T. P. Rivera) was born in Mississippi. This is also true of Elizabeth Holloway Wells. She is younger than Louise, but older than Mary H. "Mollie" Rivera. Moreover, in the 1880 census the Wells family is listed as living right next door to the Burke family. Since at this time Tito P. Rivera is a cashier at the Doddridge and Davis Bank and Francis E. Wells is an accountant, it may be that they worked together for Mr. Doddridge and Mr. Davis. Genealogical records report that little Willie's dad later died in Waco, Texas on 5 April 1899 and was buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Waco. It would seem that Willie F. Wells was thus buried with many other family members, but from the Rivera and Burke families in Old Bayview Cemetery.
Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell