Blanche Aileen Wells

Blanche Aileen Wells crossed over to Heaven on August 5, 2021 at the age of 96 at her home in Gilmer, Texas. In her final days and weeks on earth, she was lovingly and attentively cared for by her daughter, Diana Alden, her son, Paul Adams and his wife Linda, her daughter Aileen Fuller, her niece, Maryann Snow, and her granddaughter, Michelle Bergstresser. Blanche’s family is especially grateful to these loving and compassionate caregivers who gave so generously of their time to provide Blanche with excellent care and quality of life.

Blanche Wells was born on July 24, 1925, in Kansas City, Missouri to Lawrence and Mary Brown, their first child. Blanche was a talented musician who played piano, organ, and accordion throughout her life in churches and for friends and family. As a young girl, she gave her heart to the Lord at a vacation bible school and as a result her parents found the Lord and her family became faithful Christians. As a teenager, she ministered in prisons, playing music for the prisoners. Throughout her life, Blanche taught Sunday school to children, and she led many people to the Lord and was always looking for an opportunity to minister to people who came into her life. Blanche was brave, confident, intelligent, and was a rock to her family. Blanche faced hardships in life and overcame them with a grace and confidence which came from her faith. She was an excellent mother to her children, raising them through most of their lives as a working single mother doing her best to make ends meet. In 1985, Blanche moved from California to Texas to a lake house on Lake Cypress Springs, where she hosted Thanksgiving, Fourth of July, and other holidays and family events for many years. Her home was the hub of her family and she loved hosting her family and friends. Blanche had seemingly endless love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control. Her hobbies included fishing, crocheting blankets and various items for friends and family (especially when a new baby was born in the family), playing music, trying new recipes, and traveling with family. Blanche was an active woman who enjoyed long walks, yard work, and anything else to keep her busy. She refused to be idle.

Blanche was fun-loving and fun to be around, with a witty sense of humor at the ready. Blanche’s family will miss so many things about her, but she is especially remembered for her delicious cooking, her love of children, her skill at games (which she usually won), her urge to travel and see and do new things, and most of all, the legacy of her Christian faith which she passed on to her family. She was an active member of First Baptist Gilmer and enjoyed playing music at events at every opportunity. Blanche was bravely looking forward to her heavenly reunion with her loved ones who had passed on before her, and she is now with them, no doubt entertaining them around a piano and serving them her strawberry cake and homemade bread.

Blanche is survived by her three children, Aileen Fuller and her husband Tony of Arlington, her son Paul Adams and his wife Linda of Mount Pleasant, her daughter Diana Alden of Gilmer, her niece, Maryann Snow of Arlington, 7 grandchildren, Tiffany Munoz and husband Arturo, Tommy Fuller, Jason Adams and wife Amy, Mike Alden and wife Heather, Jeremy Adams, Jonny Adams and wife Brandy, and Michelle Bergstresser and husband Bryan, 11 great-grandchildren, and 5 great-great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her beloved step-children who she loved as her own, along with numerous nieces and nephews and extended family. Blanche was pre-deceased by her parents, her brother and sister, her husband Al Wells, her husband Lloyd Crist, a child she never knew who died at birth, and her granddaughter, Monica Fuller.

A visitation for family and friends will be held at Croley Funeral Home in Gilmer on August 6, 2021, from 6 to 8 p.m. A graveside service will be held on August 7, 2021, at 10 a.m. at Floyd Cemetery.

As Blanche was preparing to leave this earth, she assured her family that she had lived a good life, had no regrets, and was ready to go. She’ll be dearly missed by her family and friends, but we know someday we’ll be reunited with her in Heaven.