wˈɛlzᵻz fˈɜːst wˈaɪf, ˈɛdnə mˈɛts wˈɛlz, hˌuː dˈaɪd ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi ˈeɪt, wʌzɐ ɹᵻspˈɛktᵻd lˈoʊkəl tˈiːtʃɚ ænd wʌz ˈɑːnɚd wɪð ɐ wˈeɪk kˈaʊnti, nˈɔːɹθ kˌæɹəlˈaɪnə, pˈɑːɹk nˈeɪmd ɪn hɜːɹ ˈɑːnɚ.
Wells's first wife, Edna Metz Wells, who died in 1938, was a respected local teacher and was honored with a Wake County, North Carolina, park named in her honor.