On Wednesday, May 29, 2024, at the age of 95, Rheva Jo Wells was peacefully taken home to be with her Lord and Savior and was reunited with her beloved husband, Dan. She was born in Kemp, Okla., on November 17, 1928, to Clyde and Nettie (Wilson) Nichols. She was married to Dan Johnson Wells in Bonham, Texas, on April 10, 1948. They celebrated a beautiful life of 73 years together.
Rheva was blessed with many gifts with one of them being hospitality. She loved people and her home was open to everyone. It was a place for all the family to come for many years and enjoy being together for one of her wonderful home cooked dinners or a fabulous holiday meal. It was a place to feel loved, share laughter and listen to her stories; and she did have some stories. Most of her stories were of her childhood, meeting Dan, and her many years with him, her students in the classroom, and last but not least, her grandchildren. She was positive her grandchildren were the best of the best.
Rheva began teaching Sunday School and sharing the love of Jesus with young children as a teenager. She graduated from public school at Kemp, Okla., in 1947 and continued her education at Southeastern State College in Durant, Okla., where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in math. She began her 47-year teaching career at Kemp Public Schools where she taught from 1965-1969. She went on to teach in Denison Public Schools from 1969-1989. After retiring from Denison, she did private tutoring in her home from 1989-1991. In 1991, she returned to the classroom for one final time at Achille Public Schools and taught there from 1991-2012. Even though she finally retired from the classroom, she never stopped teaching. She used every opportunity to share learning with young people. Grandmother or Aunt Rheva, as she was known to her family, always had a math problem for the young ones, and even some older ones in the family, to solve. Rheva was not only a teacher of math but of how to live a life of love, generosity and caring about others. She lived a life of service to her Lord and taught those around her how to do the same. She had a profound impact on all who knew her and we are all better for having known her.
Rheva is survived by her sons, Dan Wells of Lafayette, La., and Stephen Wells (Barbara) of Durant, Okla.; granddaughters: Cami Wells Dellinger (Todd) of Hendrix, Okla., Rachel Wells LaFleur (Lance) of Lafayette, La., Karen Wells Johnson (David) of McKinney, Texas, and grandson David Wells (Amanda) of Austin,Texas; great-grandchildren: Bret Dellinger (Kaylie) of Kemp, Okla., Shelby Dellinger Walker (Zack) of Durant, Okla., Matthew Chanthavongsy and Noelle Chanthavongsy and Nico LeFleur of Lafayette, La., Sophie Christopher and Bo Christopher of McKinney, Texas; great-great granddaughters: Bexley Dellinger, Kitt Dellinger and Bowie Dellinger of Kemp, Okla. Also surviving is nephew David Hatfield (Nancy), and nieces Sharon Grotlisch, Amy Monroy (Joe), Sheryl Doornbos (Scott), Nicole Alexander, sister-in-law Norma Nichols, and a number of great and great-great nephews and nieces. Other local family members are Billy Wells (Leigh), Ingrid (Wells) Cole (Adam), Nancy Wells Hicks (Ben) and Stanley Wells.
Rheva was preceded in death by her parents; husband; four siblings: Ernie Nichols, Wilma Nichols Hatfield, Wallace Nichols, and Lyndon Nichols and nephews: Ross Nichols and Myron Nichols.
Cremation was chosen, and burial will be at a later date to be determined.
Services are under the direction of Holmes-Coffey-Murray Funeral Home, 121 N. Fifth Ave. in Durant.
www.holmescoffeymurray.com