Bessie Mae (Huss) Wells, 92, passed away on July 25, 2018, in Independence, Ore.

Bessie was born Oct. 6, 1926, in Fairbury, Neb. to Carl and Mae Etta Huss. Bessie’s mom passed away when she was only three years old. Soon after, her dad married Angus. Bessie was the oldest of her sisters, Fern and Dorothy.

Bessie worked at a restaurant where she met her husband Clarence (Barney) Wells, an MP during World War II. Bessie would save him a slice of Pecan Pie. It was said, they fell in love over pie.

The two married on Dec. 20, 1944. They later moved to Roslyn, Wash. to start a family. Years later they moved to Aberdeen, Wash., where Bessie worked for the telephone company.

Bessie and Barney would eventually settle down in Montesano, Wash. in a cute little cul-de-sac, where they would decorate their yard along with the neighbors the Benedicts, during Christmas time. Each year Bessie, Barney, and the rest of the neighbors would pool their money together to buy small candy canes. Bessie would dress Barney up as Santa Clause and he would hand out candy canes to the kids during the Festival of Lights. Soon the name Candy Cane Lane was born with the cul-de-sac decorated in wooden candy canes.

After Bessie retired from the telephone company, she volunteered at the Montesano Food Bank.

Bessie was proceeded in death by her husband Barney Wells. Both her sisters, Fern Dupuis and Dorothy Lewis. A son Clarence (Dick) Wells, two daughters, Geri Ketola, and Carolyn Hopkins.

She is survived by a daughter, Debbie Lyons; 10 grandchildren: Kim, Kirsten, Gene, Jason, Bryan, Heather, Aaron, Amber, Kyla, and Mark; 16 great-grandchildren, and two great-great-grandchildren; as well as many nieces and nephews.

If you would like to make a donation in Bessie’s memory, please donate to the Montesano Food Bank.

Celebration of Life will be on Aug. 18, 12 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Country Estates Club House, 57 Clemons Rd., Montesano.