Wells Family :Information about Samuel Jenkins Wells

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Samuel Jenkins Wells (b. Sep 18, 1868, d. Mar 10, 1951)

Samuel Jenkins Wells (son of William Wells and Emma Eleanor Pope) was born Sep 18, 1868 in Mokelumne Hill, California, and died Mar 10, 1951 in Sacramento, California. He married Martha Edna Smith on Sep 19, 1900 in 1st Pres Church, Livermore, Alameda, California, daughter of James Smith and Martha Ann Avery.

Notes for Samuel Jenkins Wells:
Sam was the only male of the family and was not cut in the same mold as his "Man's Man" father. He enjoyed playing the piano, and was active in the community church. His father sent him off to finish high school in Oakland in the 1880's. Following High School, he attended Chesney Woods Business College in Santa Cruz in 1887. He served as Postmaster at Mokelumne Hil in 1888 and then obtained work in Point Arena as a book-keeper for White Lumber Co. until 1895. Whild in Point Arena he met Martha E (Mattie) Smith. After saving enough money, he applied to Medical school at Cooper Medical college in San Francisco from 1895 until 1899 and then interned at Lane Hospital until Aug 1900. Cooper later became part of Stanfords med school. He married Mattie in Sept 1900 upon completion of his residency.

Sam and Mattie, set up his medical practice first in West Point Caleveras Co unitl 1903 then to Oakland until 1904 and then Pleasanton until 1913 and then moved to Sacramento where he practised in an office on the first floor of his home in Oak Park (33rd and 2nd Ave.) area until his retirement in the mid to late 1940's. He was instrumental as one of the leaders the medical community and was instrumental in organizing the Sutter hospital project and the Fairhaven Home for unwed mothers. He delivered the babies at Fairhaven all the while he practiced medicine.

He was a practicing Christian vs a Sunday Christian. He rarely charged people who couldn't afford medical care including most of the mothers at Fairhaven. (Many illegitimate children are named Sam). His patients often paid him in mowed lawns, cooked meals. or other quid pro quo arrangments. Many of those patients who were culturally or educationally disadvantaged would ask him for advice on most things including how they should vote in elections.

As a pillar of the Bethany Pres Church in Sacramento, he supported the building of conference facility at Zephyr Point Lake Tahoe. He was offered a lease plot of land and built a lakeside cabin in 1934 which the family and very often his patients enjoyed. People were given the keys to the cabin not for rent but because they looked like they needed the rest. (Unfortunately the cabin and the land was taken back by the church in 2004 long after the memory of those who founded and financed the facilities had passed on.

He retired from medical practice in the mid to late 1940's.

More About Samuel Jenkins Wells:
Burial: Mar 13, 1951, East Lawn Cemetary, Niche 9, Tier 5, Section FL.
Graduation 1: Aug 20, 1899, Cooper Medical College.
Graduation 2: 1892, Heald Bus College in Oakland as a book keeper.
Occupation: 1892, Bookeeper for Lumber Co. in Pt. Arena, Mendocino Co. CA.
Record Change: Feb 09, 2005

More About Samuel Jenkins Wells and Martha Edna Smith:
Marriage: Sep 19, 1900, 1st Pres Church, Livermore, Alameda, California.

Children of Samuel Jenkins Wells and Martha Edna Smith are:

+Anna E Wells, b. 1906, California¹²⁷.
William Lane Wells, b. 1901.
+Myron Crosby Wells, b. Oct 07, 1903, Oakland California, d. Aug 25, 1970, Sacramento, California.