Margaretta Wells

Margaretta Burr Wells (Mrs. Kenneth E.), retired missionary of the Presbyterian Church (USA), died Dec. 26, 1999. A Christian educator in Thailand for 40 years, she had been living in Newport News, Va. since 1967.

Margaretta Wells was born May 15, 1902 in Bottineau, and was the daughter of Scottish immigrants. Her father, A.G. Burr, became Chief Justice of the North Dakota Supreme Court. She graduated from Jamestown College and earned a master's degree at the University of Michigan.

She was married in 1926 to the Rev. Kenneth E. Wells, Ph.D., a college classmate, who died in 1981. In 1927, they went as missionaries to Thailand, where they served for 40 years.

In her church career, Mrs. Wells taught English in Chiang Mai at The Prince Royal's College, and in Bangkok at Waffana Academy. She founded and taught at the Chiang Mai International School, was a writer and editor of "The Siam Outlook" mission journal, and was the first manager of the Bangkok Christian Bookstore. She was fluent in both Thai and Lao and saw brief service for her language skills with the federal government in Washington D.C.

Her six published books are "A Guide to Bangkok," "A Guide to Chiang Mai," "Thai Fairy Tales," "Good Manners Abroad," "Florence Nightingale," and "Siam Story." Her articles appeared in numerous American magazines, including the National Geographic, and she was invited to present lectures before the Southeast Asia Society of Washington D.C.

Mrs. Wells was asked to tutor the daughter of the Viceroy of all Northern Thailand, hosted on several occasions the present King Phumipol and Queen Sirikit of Thailand, and loaned her collection of Thai costumes to 20th Century Fox studio for the 1946 movie "Anna and the King of Siam" (Rex Harrison, Irene Dunne). She served as the only foreigner on the National Cancer Society Board in Thailand, and was president of the American Women's Club in Bangkok. In May 1987, there was an exhibition of her fine arts collection at the 1846 Courthouse Museum, Portsmouth, Va., as "Arts from the Golden Triangle."

She was a member of the Hidenwoo Presbyterian Church and belonged to Chapter S, P.E.O. Sisterhood, the D.A.R., and the Warwick Forest Creative Writing Group.

She is survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Roberta W. and Col. (Ret) Roy D. Rogers, Newport News, Va.; her son and daughter-in-law, the Rev. Kenneth A. B. and Helga Wells of Philadelphia, Penn.; three granddaughters, Margaret Prior, Virginia Clayton, both of Stanardsville, Va., and Dr. Christina Wells, Reno, Nev.; three great-grandchildren, R. Cameron Clayton, Brandon T. Clayton, and Morgan Prior, all of Stanardsville, va.; a sister, Mrs. Roberta B. McCreery, Bismarck; a niece, Mrs. Patricia Ryberg, Baldwin; and a nephew, Dr. Alex F. Burr, Las Cruces, N.M.

A memorial service will be held Jan. 6, 2000 at 7 p.m. in the Hidenwood Presbyterian Church, Newport News, Va., with the Revs. J. Harold McKeithen and Miki Vanderbilt officiating. The family will receive friends following the service at the church until 8:30 p.m. (Peninsula Funeral Home, Newport News, Va.)