Mary Wells

Mary Ruth McGhee Fuller Cordero Wells, age 92, mother, sister, grandmother passed away on December 17, 2017. Mary Ruth was born September 30, 1925 in Greenway, Arkansas, to the late Ida May and Guy McGhee, who were sharecroppers. Mary Ruth was raised on a large farm in a big family with nine brothers and sisters whom she loved dearly.

She married Leonard Ellsworth Fuller in 1941. Together they raised son Richard and daughters Sandra and Dagmar in California and Grants Pass, Oregon. Mary Ruth would later marry Alphonse Cordero and raise twin daughters, Patricia and Teresa, in Grants Pass, where Mary Ruth would live the remainder of her life. In 2010, Mary Ruth married Don Wells and the two thoroughly enjoyed a full life together for several happy years.

Mary Ruth adored all of her children and strived to appreciate the individual gifts of each one. With passions for cooking, homemaking and gardening, Mary Ruth made lovely homes in Missouri, California, and Oregon. Her gardens were invariable exquisite, with her rose bushes always particularly fine.

She loved the beauty of nature, music, and dancing, and was always quick to laugh and crack a joke. Mary Ruth enjoyed road trips, sightseeing, and camping, relishing few things more than being in a boat on the water.

Mary Ruth is predeceased by her son Richard and daughter Sandra, her parents, and brothers WT, Evan, Laymond, and Glen and sister Zelzie. She is survived by daughters Dagmar, Patricia, and Teresa, sisters, Ruby, Wanda, Billie Jean, and Alma, as well as eleven grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren and nieces and nephews.

Warmest thanks to the staff of Asante Hospice for their tender, capable care in these last days. And, finally, our family cannot begin to express the depth of our gratitude for the staff and residents of Autumn House Grants Pass. Your professional and loving service to Mary Ruth in her final years has meant the world to us and we will truly miss your kind and caring presence in our lives. Thank you.

Dearest Mother, may you rest in peace.

A Celebration of Life was held at 2:00 p.m., Tuesday, December 19, 2017 at Hull & Hull Funeral Directors.

A Memorial Mass will be at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 27, 2017 at St. Anne Catholic Church.

Interment will be at Our Lady of the Lakes Cemetery in Lake Oswego, Oregon.