Francis Harold Wells Jr.

Francis Harold Wells Jr., known to most as Butch, passed from this life on Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026, in Searcy. He was born Sept. 10, 1949, in Russell, a son of the late Francis Harold and Jorene (Johnson) Wells. He was a 1969 graduate of Bald Knob High School and spent some of his early years working on the pipeline. Later, Butch worked for many years as a roller operator for the White County Paving Company.

He found peace and solace in the woods and great joy in hunting deer, squirrel, duck or whatever was in season. He passed that passion down to his boys. Butch also loved hunting arrowheads and had quite the collection. He was an avid Razorback fan. You could always tell if they were losing because you could hear him yelling at the refs through the TV and across town.

Butch is survived by his sons, Jason Wells (Casie) of Judsonia and Scott Wells (Felicia) of Bald Knob; siblings, Kelly Nelson (Dewayne) of Judsonia, Gary Wells of Bald Knob and Ronnie Wells (Shirley) of Beebe; grandchildren, Raegin Musgrove, Micah Wells, Ryan Cooper, Logan Needham, Brooklyn Wells, Cayden Wells and Paisley Hays; great-grandchildren, Gracie Musgrove, Dallas Musgrove and Locklyn Scott Wells; nieces, Tessa Sardelli, Kayla Little and Halie Nelson; and nephews, Chad Wells, Mark Wells and Tyler Wells.

In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Carmen Wells; paternal grandparents, Claude Floyd Wells and May Lou McGinty Wells; and maternal grandparents, Helen Inez Johnson Miller and Kenneth Johnson.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, Jan. 30 at 11 a.m. at the Powell Funeral Home Chapel in Bald Knob. Visitation will be held prior, beginning at 10 a.m. Interment will follow in the Carter Cemetery in Russell.

Arrangements are entrusted to Powell Funeral Home, Bald Knob-Judsonia.

www.powellfuneralhome.net.