Anthony Wells, 56, of 2145 Mead street, one of Racine’s leading Italian-American citizens, died suddenly at his home of a heart attack at 3 p.m. Monday.

 

Mr. Wells, who operated a grocery and meat market in Lakeside for many years, was active in civic and church affairs, a leader in Italian-American organizations and influential in politics, although he never sought public office.

Funeral services will be held at Roma hall at 8:30 a.m. Thursday and at St. Lucy’s Catholic church at 9 a.m. Rev. Sylvester Van Berkel will officiate. Burial will be in Holy Cross cemetery.

 

The body, which is at the Strouf funeral home, will be removed Wednesday morning to Roma hall, 2017 Mead street, where friends may view it Wednesday afternoon and evening and until services Thursday morning.

Survivors are three sons, Henry, Dominick and Eugene; one daughter, Mrs. Louis C. DeMark; his mother, Mrs. Carmela Wells; three brothers, Joseph, James and Dominick and one grandson, Rayno Wells.

 

 

Mr. Wells was born in Marano, Italy, Jan. 2, 1882, and came to the United States at the age of 14. After four years in Pittsburgh he came to Racine where he resided up to his death.

 

He was appointed general foreman of the M. E. R. & L. in 1904, a position he held for 18 years until he resigned to establish his meat and grocery business.

Mr. Wells was one of a committee of Italian-American citizens instrumental in making Columbus day a legal state holiday in 1926.

 

 

Previous to that, due to his activity a number of Italian clubs were welded into a stronger organization, Sons of Italy, of which he was president for 10 years. At the time of organization in 1919, the club built Roma hall.

At the time of his death Mr. Wells was state organizer for the Sons of Italy and had made plans for a second lodge in Racine as well as lodges in other cities in Wisconsin.

 

Mr. Wells was a former member of the Eagles and of the Association of Commerce and was an active member of the Moose, the Italian-American alliance, Italian American Harmony league, and Lakeshore Improvement club.

He was organizer and chairman of the Lakeside branch of the Boy Scouts for a number of years and a special deputy sheriff in Lakeside for 34 years.

 

 

When members of St. Lucy’s church constructed a new church building in 1933, Mr. Wells was chairman of the building committee. He also helped organize and was the first president of St. Lucy’s social club and directing head of the former St. Lucy’s band. In 1922 Mr. Wells was chairman of a committee to raise funds to build the Lakeside district school.

 

In politics, although he was not affiliated with any party, Mr. Wells played an influential part. He was one of the leaders in a successful fight recently against the incorporation of Lakeside as a village.

 

Mr. Wells was interested in urging all Italians to become citizens of the United States and always was present in circuit court when examinations for citizenship were held. When not in his store, he devoted his time to aiding his fellow Italian-Americans in their difficulties, economic or otherwise.