Here’s an improved version of your Friday Find blog post draft. I kept the genealogical detail intact but polished the flow, added context, and gave it a smoother introduction and conclusion so it reads more like a narrative instead of just a transcription:
Friday Find – Wells Family Records in Woodson County, Kansas
Today’s Friday Find comes from my Wells family notebook and highlights a set of vital record transcriptions from Woodson County, Kansas, compiled by Betty Wasmer of Yates Center. These pages include deaths, births, and marriages for Wells relatives and their extended families. While the entries themselves are brief, they offer valuable clues about family connections in late 19th and early 20th century Kansas.
Woodson County Deaths (Pg. 93)
- 3 Jun 1873 – Wells, Thurston (Yates Center)
- 10 Nov 1879 – Wells, Wm. (Toronto)
Woodson County Births (Pgs. 76–77)
- Mentzen, Chas. O. (25) & Nettie Wells (21)
9 Jul 1896 – Female, 1st child - Mentzen, C. O. (29) & Nettie Wells (25)
23 Aug 1898 – Male, 4th child - Mentzen, C. O. (31) & Nettie Wells (27)
20 Jul 1900 – Male, 5th child - Mentzen, Ernest (30) & Edith Dumond (26)
9 Apr 1911 – Male, 1st child - Mentzen, Henry (34) & May Litton (30)
10 Mar 1909 – Female, 1st child - Mentzen, J. F. (25) & Anna Wells (28)
19 May 1896 – Female, 1st child
Additional children of J. F. Mentzen and Anna Wells include:
- 7 Nov 1897 – Female (2nd)
- 26 Apr 1899 – Female (3rd)
- 18 Sep 1901 – Female (4th)
- 13 Jul 1904 – Male (6th)
- 30 Oct 1906 – ? (7th)
- 8 Jan 1909 – Female (8th)
Woodson County Births (Pg. 97)
- Rickett, D. C. (28, Vernon, KS) & Anna Myers (19)
25 Sep 1905 – Female, 1st child
12 Oct 1910 – Male, 2nd (Stubbs.?)
Woodson County Marriages (Pg. 22)
- 19 Feb 1890 – Briles, Edward G. (20) & Frances Ricketts (22)
- 7 Apr 1918 – Briles, Felix R. (21) & Lena White (24)
- 20 Apr 1919 – Briles, Glenn (24) & Ruth Lynn (26)
- 17 Jan 1934 – Briles, Glenn (51) & Mrs. Toole (64)
- 30 Jan 1916 – Briles, Wm. M. (18) & Monna Fitch (18)
Additional Marriages (Pg. 34)
- Christy, Addia (54) & Eva Waite (51) – 23 Dec 1924
- Christy, Buddy Chas. (18) & Carol B. Hart (18) – 8 Jan 1934
- Christy, F. M. (56) & S. L. Colligen (49) – 8 Jul 1907
- Christy, Earl M. & Anna Schornick (64) – 25 Apr 1942
- Ackerman, Otis L. & L. Tellie Christy – 10 Dec 1964
- Christy, Geo. W. (46) & Ila Hazen (42) – 18 Jan 1928
- Christy, Royce (38) & Wanda Strawder (38) – 10 Apr 1911
Typed Marriage Inserts – Mentzer Family
- Charles O. Mentzer (24) & Nettie A. Wells (20) – 18 Oct 1893, E-180
- Clarence Albert Mentzer (27) & Grace Graham (23) – 7 May 1913, I-438
- Ernest E. Mentzer (30) & Edith M. Dumond – 1 Jun 1910, I-125
- E. T. Mentzer (24) & Lorene Schooling (22) – 1 Jun 1938, N-405
- George F. Mentzer (23) & Anna M. Wells (23) – 27 Mar 1895, E-315
- Harley W. Mentzer (23) & Winiford McCormick (21) – 9 May 1928, L-451
- Henry Mentzer (28) & May Litton (25) – 25 Jun 1903, G-240
- Howard Mentzer (22) & Edna Peterson (19) – 15 Feb 1932, M-263
- Jerry Lee Mentzer (19) & Linda Marie Gregg (20) – 29 Jul 1967, R-81
- Leslie George Mentzer (25) & Vesta Marie Danielson (23) – 16 Apr 1924, L-125
- Loren Mentzer (26) & Etta Beth Schaich (22) – 1 Sep 1940, O-133
- Merrill Burdette Mentzer (27) & Marie Hazel Stout (20) – 7 Jul 1946, O-630
- Norryce Mentzer (28) & Alberta Mae Cook (18) – 15 Jan 1950, P-306
- Paul E. Mentzer (25) & Ada E. Saferite (26) – 25 Aug 1921, K-319
- Phillip E. Mentzer (28) & Anna M. Schoepflin (26) – 25 Oct 1905, H-85
Additional Records (Pg. 174, 96, 237, 226–227)
- Ricketts, Manford (27) & Lulu Beam (24) – 10 Oct 1902
- Howren, Walter J. (21) & Belle Ricketts (21) – 7 Sep 1893
- Yoho, Warnie (20) & Hazel Ricketts (17) – 12 Sep 1923
Typed Marriage Inserts – Wells Family
- Anthony R. Wells (19) & Cynthia G. Jesseph (17) – 1 Mar 1980, S-85
- Archie Wells (23) & Mary Mulsow (23) – 26 Nov 1911, I-271
- Charles E. Wells (24) & Mabel E. Holt (18) – 18 Jul 1906, H-159
- Charles Eugene Wells (21) & Margaret Marie Rollins (18) – 24 Jun 1951, P-403
- Clark Wells (21) & Icy Brooks (21) – 9 Jul 1913, I-462
- Clayton A. Wells Jr. (41) & Joan Elaine Orth (30) – 30 Oct 1975, R-401
- Clinton Wells (19) & Odessa Martin (19) – 25 Feb 1903, G-213
- Ferris Wells (21) & Pearl Henkle (18) – 8 Sep 1937, N-332
- F. O. Wells (46) & Sudie Curad (31) – 31 May 1899, F-256
- Hiram Wells (51) & Arkansas Cannady (49) – 14 Sep 1891, E-11
- J. J. Wells (50) & Elizabeth Lacrone (40) – 22 Dec 1870, B-44
- John Kline Wells (19) & Helen Elizabeth Cooper (21) – 30 Jul 1929, M-71
- Lee Wells (20) & Carrie Alice Slough (19) – 14 Feb 1943, O-364
- L. J. Wells (30) & S. J. McCormick (18) – 28 May 1872, B-72
- Leonard J. Wells (45) & Mary E. Dawson (23) – 27 Apr 1886, C-194
- Owen C. Wells (20) & Tillie Matilda Stranch (19) – 20 Feb 1926, L-272
- Rollin A. Wells (35) & Laura Moore (27) – 5 Jul 1902, G-141
- Robert R. Wells (25) & Dora A. Faler (21) – 30 Nov 1882, C-62
Closing Thoughts
This transcription work by Betty Wasmer preserves vital connections among the Wells, Mentzer, Ricketts, Christy, and Briles families of Woodson County, Kansas. Each entry provides not just names and dates, but also insights into migration, family size, and community ties. For anyone tracing Wells family lines—or their extended kin in Kansas—these records are a gold mine of leads for further research.
