Laura (Casbohm) Wells

Laura (Casbohm) Wells, 92 of Mentor, passed away peacefully in her sleep on Monday, January 15, 2018 at the Waterford in Richmond Heights. She was born May 29, 1925 in Meadville, PA to the late Harry and Ruby Casbohm and was raised in Beaver Center, PA. She was a loving Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Aunt and friend to many. Laura was married to Donald Wells and they enjoyed 44 loving years together before his passing in 1998. They welcomed the light of their life, their daughter Julie, and they spent many wonderful vacations traveling throughout the US as well as Europe and northern Africa. After their retirement, Laura and Don also traveled to Alaska, Canada, India, Thailand, Japan and China. They passed along their love of travel to their granddaughters, Laura and Jessica. Laura was raised on a farm in Beaver Center, and was taught the value of hard work and a Christian Faith from her parents. These lessons would serve her well throughout her life, as she developed the discipline, perseverance and faith that carried her through many difficult challenges. In 1943, when she was 18, she developed appendicitis and her appendix burst. Doctors gave her little to no chance of surviving, and turned to an experimental drug, sulfa, which was recently developed to treat injured WWII soldiers. Her faith and fighting spirit was again called into action when she developed breast cancer in 1968 which required a radical mastectomy. Then again in 1983, she developed breast cancer a second time which also required a radical mastectomy. Throughout these difficult times, her faith and her family sustained her. Her hard work and perseverance served her well as she started college at the age of 37 and worked for nine years to get her teaching degree from Lake Erie College, all while maintaining a household, a loving marriage, and raising her daughter, not to mention beating cancer along the way. She then continued her education by earning a master’s degree from John Carroll University. She put her education to work by becoming a teacher in the Euclid City School District where she taught children with learning disabilities at Upson Elementary School. She retired from Euclid Schools in 1985 after beating cancer for a second time. Throughout her life she put her faith to work for others. She taught Sunday School with her husband for over 20 years, for students ranging from second to sixth grade, as well as being a camp counselor. Her hospitality, a gift she also received from her parents, led her to host many dinners for family, friends, and new church members. She was a long time member of Covenant Baptist Church in Wickliffe, and most recently a devoted member for over 30 years of Hope Ridge United Methodist Church in Concord, where she received a special mission recognition award for her work in the United Methodist Women’s group. Along with her husband who planted and tended an extensive rose garden, she made flower arrangements which they delivered to shut-ins and friends and church members in need of special care and prayers. She passed along this love of faith to her daughter and granddaughters. Her spirit of volunteerism led her to volunteer at Playhouse Square Theater, at Mentor Fine Arts, as a Girl Scout Leader, and at Huntington Elementary School in Painesville where she read to children. She volunteered as a swimming instructor at the YMCA which led to her pursuing her life saving certificate from the YMCA and the Red Cross. In her younger life, she loved playing bridge, camping, swimming, and riding bikes. Laura enjoyed square dancing with her husband at Broken Wheels Square Dance Club, and after his passing, line dancing at the Mentor and J.F.K. Senior Centers. She played the piano and her love of music was passed along to her daughter Julie who is a music teacher at Chestnut Elementary School in Painesville. Laura and Don were very devoted and loving grandparents to granddaughters Laura and Jessica. Many happy memories of sleepovers, picnics, beach parties, vacations, and joy filled birthday and holiday celebrations were created in their times together. Her love of music made its way into their hearts as well. Laura was an avid writer and journaled most every day of her life. This has created such a loving and treasured memory of her life which her family is so blessed to have. In one of her many writings she said “I guess that whatever will be will be. In any case, it has been a fabulous life”. All those who have known her would agree. She is survived by her daughter Julie (Clayton) Minder of Wickliffe and granddaughters Laura Minder of Wickliffe and Jessica (Michael) Moore of Findlay, Ohio. Preceding her in death was her husband of 44 years Donald E. Wells, sister Florence Homa and brothers Earl, Clair and Jack Casbohm. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. April 14, 2018 at Hope Ridge United Methodist Church, 9870 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor, OH 44060. Contributions may be made in memory of Laura to Hope Ridge United Methodist Church Memorial Fund, 9870 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Mentor, 44060. Arrangements entrusted to Brunner Sanden Deitrick Funeral Home & Cremation Center, 8466 Mentor Ave. Mentor, OH 44060. Please offer condolences at www.brunners.com.

Laura (Casbohm) Wells

May 29, 1925 - January 15, 2018