Mr. Glen E. "Johnny" Wells Sr. Obituary - Visitation & Funeral Information

“The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” –Is 57: 1-2 Duffield, VA Glenn Edward “Johnny” Wells, Sr., age 83, was called home to be with his Lord and Saviour on Monday, April 27, 2015, at Holston Valley Medical Center after an extended illness. Born January 21, 1932, in Wise County, Va., he was the eighth child of John F. and Blanche Johnson Wells. January 21 was a true day of celebration for his parents were married on January 21, his brother Albert was born on January 21, 1930 and then Glenn came along January 21, 1932. On October 23, 1965, he married the love of his life, Shirley Miller. Two years later, they welcomed a son, Glenn Edward, Jr. “Eddie,” to complete their family. “Johnny” as he was fondly called by family and friends, attended East Stone Gap School, then traveled to Detroit, MI, where he worked for Ford Motor Co. He later lived in Dayton, OH, working at the Chrysler plant. He returned to Southwest Virginia in the early 60’s and worked with Virginia Railway Contractors until his retirement in 1994. He lived in Big Stone Gap for many years before moving to Duffield in 1997. He loved the mountains, hunting, fishing, and camping. He also loved to read western books, especially those by Zane Gray and Louis L’amour, and watch baseball games on TV. But most of all he loved his God and his family. He was a gentle giant with a wonderful sense of humor and a smile that could light up a room. Of the Baptist faith, he accepted Jesus as his Lord and Saviour in November, 2002. He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, James and Albert; and sisters, Maude Wilson, Laura Rogers, Stella Jones, and Amanda Ball. Left to mourn him are his wife Shirley, son Eddie, brother Owen, brother- and sister-in-law Randy and Carol Miller, many beloved nieces and nephews, and his little dog Abby. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday at Holding Funeral Home, Big Stone Gap, VA. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m. with Pastor George “Buddy” Osborne officiating. Music will be provided by Buddy and Glenda Wilson, Brenda and Abby Walsworth, and Jana Salley. Pallbearers will be nephews: Jerry Ball, Junior Jones, Mike Wells, Phil Wells, Michael Surrett and Deven Miller. Honorary pallbearers will be: Larry Wells, Johnny Wells, Steve Wells, Ron Wilson and Carl Jones. Graveside services will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at Powell Valley Memorial Gardens. Those planning to go to the cemetery should meet at the funeral home at 10:30 a.m. Johnny’s request was that in lieu of flowers, those so wishing make a donation in his name to Thomas Village Baptist Church, P. O. Box 267, Duffield, VA 24244 to be used for mission projects. The family would like to express their sincere thanks to the doctors, nurses, and other staff at Holston Valley Medical Center, especially to internal medicine specialist Srinivas Ananthula, MD; and to the Wellmont Hospice nurses and personnel, who helped so much during his last illness. And, a special thank you to Connie Lawson, caregiver, who helped care for him while he was still at home. To view the obituary online and offer condolences, please visit www.holdingfuneralhome.com. Holding Funeral Home is serving the Wells family.

Mr. Glen E. "Johnny" Wells Sr.

January 21, 1932 - April 27, 2015