Ruth Hancock Wells died Friday, December 1, 2023 after 98 years of a full life.  She was born in Oakley, Kansas to Glenn and Esther Hancock and grew up in Wahoo, Nebraska.

She attended the University of Wichita, Kansas for two years, transferring to the University of Nebraska at Lincoln where she met her future husband E. Ord Wells.  They graduated in the spring of 1947 and married September 12,1947 and moved to Boulder, Colorado where Ord attended law school.  They moved to Fort Morgan in 1950 after Ord finished law school and lived there until his death in 1998 and her recent death.  When they first moved to Fort Morgan, they lived for a short time at the Queen Hotel where they met several other couples who had just moved to Fort Morgan and with whom they became life-long friends.

Ruth and Ord had two daughters, Karen Ruth Winbourn (Reed) and Susan Loy Stearns (Mike) as well as four grandchildren, Sarah Winbourn (Trini Rodriguez), Dylan Winbourn (Holly Bayham), Gillian Winbourn and Andrew Stearns as well as one great-granddaughter, Catalina Rodriguez.

Ruth will be remembered for her love of and involvement in her community and church, the United Presbyterian Church.  She was active in her daughters' schools through PTA, she was a Brownie/Girl Scout and 4-H leader and taught Sunday School.   She was a founding member of Arcturus Club and played in several bridge clubs over the years.  Ruth received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at the University of Nebraska and after her daughters graduated high school, she began in earnest to paint and sketch in addition to continuing to sew, do needlework and various other crafts.  In later years she began making her own greeting cards which she sent to her family and friends as well as to many members of her community through her church.  She baked muffins and scones and loved sharing them with everyone who expressed an interest. Ruth loved to reminisce and tell stories of her life and was an avid reader until her death.

She was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers, Bill and Jim.  In addition to her immediate family, she is survived by her brother, Robert of Beatrice, Nebraska and her sisters, Jean of Great Falls, Montana and Loy Ann (Dave) of Cambridge, Maryland as well as numerous nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the United Presbyterian Church in Fort Morgan at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 9, 2023.  In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Reading Partners Colorado or a charity of your choice.