Patricia Ruth Adams Wellman

Patricia Ruth Adams Wellman

Dec. 10, 1930 – Aug. 25, 2023

Patricia Ruth Adams Wellman, 92, passed away peacefully in her home in Lovell on Aug. 25, 2023, with her daughter, Cynthia, at her side. 

Patricia was born Dec. 10, 1930, in Lovell to Thomas Marion Adams and Lucy Ora Houston Adams. She attended schools in Lovell and later attended Brigham Young University, the University of Wyoming and Universidad Interamerica in Saltillo, Mexico. 

Patricia met her husband, Jerry Wellman, while teaching third grade in Guernsey, Wyoming. They were married on June 14, 1952, and were sealed in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Idaho Falls Temple on Aug. 17, 1955.

Patricia was a woman of courage and faith. She met every challenge in life with a strength of conviction and an unparalleled love of her Savior and her church. She was a fierce advocate for her family. When she disagreed with a teacher, employer or the occasional church leader, she spoke her mind gently but clearly. There was never any ambiguity in how Patricia felt or the strength of her faith and love. She bore her testimony often and was the pillar of faith in her family.

Patricia was a deeply loving mother. Her children jokingly note that they lived on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with the best home baked bread in the world, the fish that Jerry caught, the ducks he brought home from hunting and homemade sugar cookies; but it was their mother’s love that unified the family and provided the foundation for their lives.

Patricia’s talents included knitting, crocheting, sewing, painting and teaching, and she spoke multiple languages, English, Spanish, German, French and even Latin. She loved cooking, baking bread and ensuring that her home was a place where the Spirit of the Lord would dwell.

Patricia was a faithful and loving wife and a patient and devoted mother, sister and friend. She loved meeting and helping others and had a shoulder for anyone in need. She was an amazing homemaker, Relief Society leader and teacher. She was a caring grandmother and great-grandmother, and she loved spending time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sharing her stories, showing them her secret recipes and sharing scripture lessons.

As a great testament to Patricia’s unwavering faith in God and her faith in the priesthood, she lived 92½ years on this earth. Although health challenges of hepatitis, rheumatic fever, a heart murmur, pneumonia and difficult childbirth threatened to take her, Patricia’s passion for life, the love of her family and many priesthood blessings ensured a long and wonderful life. 

Patricia was by her husband’s side when he passed away, and Patricia’s daughter, Cynthia, was by her side when she joined Jerry. Her last breath on earth was quickly followed by her first breath on returning to Heaven. And now, Pat and Jerry are together again in their eternal home, along with their parents, her brother Tom and her sisters Gloria and Adele. I can hear our Savior saying: “Welcome home. Well done, my good and faithful daughter of Zion.”

Her eternal sweetheart and husband, Jerry Francis Wellman, brother Thomas Marion Adams Jr., sisters Gloria Dawn Robison and Adele Adams Swift and parents Thomas Marion Adams and Lucy Ora Houston Adams preceded her in death.

Patricia is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Ruth Wellman Soderstrom, sons Jerry Edward Wellman and Thomas Adams Wellman, eight grandchildren, 26 great- grandchildren and her devoted sister, Kathryn Adams Bischoff. 

A viewing will be held September 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Haskell Funeral Home. A graveside service will be held the following day, September 5, at 1 p.m. at the Lovell Cemetery. Following her graveside services, Patricia will be laid to rest in the Lovell Cemetery next to her beloved sweetheart and husband.

The family requests in lieu of flowers, a donation be made to the Lovell Wyoming Library at Lovell Library, 300 Oregon Ave., Lovell, WY 82431. Thank you.