Who was Stella Wells?
Stella Wells was known for her charity work during the holiday season, giving Christmas baskets to local needy families.
She was born July 9, 1916, in Westville, Oklahoma, to George and Mary (Bennett) Bryan. Her family moved to Parsons when Stella was young. She married Lloyd Wells on June 2, 1924. He died Aug. 16, 1944. From 1964 to 1970, Stella worked for the Yellow Cab Co. in Parsons. She died in October 1986 at age 70.
The following is based on Sun archives and mainly the Stella Wells story from the committee that bears her name and continues her charity work today.
Stella’s mother was a member of the Salvation Army and Stella became involved with charity work at a very early age.
In 1963, Stella was a widow and driving a cab for a living. In this job, she was always coming in contact with individuals in need of help. Stella often helped elderly ladies get dressed before taking them somewhere in the cab. This was the year she took on the Christmas basket program – on her own – with the delivery of 65 baskets.
Over the years the need increased. Many years, Stella used her small home to store food for and fill the baskets by moving furniture out to make room for the growing number of baskets.
JoAnn Rosenberg, Stella’s daughter, reported that most years they had a Christmas dinner of weenies because they were too busy with the baskets or her mother had given away all their groceries. One year, JoAnn recalls the family was so excited because they were finally going to have a Christmas dinner. But, as the family sat down to the table a needy family came to the door and her mother bundled up the turkey, gravy, vegetables and potatoes in plastic tubs and their Christmas dinner went out the front door.
When Stella’s health began to fail, she could no longer handle the task of preparing baskets for everyone. In 1983, she delivered her last baskets to more than 200 families.
In 1985, community volunteers became involved in continuing Stella’s tradition of Christmas baskets. Stella was very helpful with volunteering information and ideas to those who were to follow her. One of the requirements she especially stressed regarded attitude: “Don’t judge whether you think a person is needy; none of us are in a position to make that judgment. You should care as much about the person who hands you a can of food as the person that you hand it to.”
Money donated to the Stella Wells Christmas Basket program is spent on the purchase of items to be distributed to families. Anything leftover is saved for the next year. There are no administrative costs involved with the Christmas baskets because the program is run by volunteers. Over the past 30 years, the Stella Wells project has grown and added new directions. Today in addition to food baskets, Christmas gifts are provided for children age 16 and younger.
Families apply for baskets and gifts in November. Soroptimists of Parsons acquire presents for the various age groups of children, wrapping the presents and preparing family bags. The food boxes are assembled with items donated by local schools and items purchased. Volunteers from throughout the community work together to sort items and fill the food boxes.
The annual Christmas tree auction held the first week of December raises money for the baskets. Groups and organizations from the community design and decorate a tree each year, which are then sold at auction. Additional items are offered for bidding, as well as items included in a silent auction.
In December, 750 baskets were distributed.
