Rev. R. V. Wells, Jr., 82, Ringgold, Ga., was born in Ringgold on October 25, 1930, and died on February 18, 2013.
Rev. Wells grew up in the Boynton Community in Catoosa County. He was a lifelong resident of Catoosa County and Walker County.
He was a graduate of Ringgold High School, The University of Chattanooga, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Mercer University.
He taught and coached at Ringgold High School (football, girls basketball, boxing) and Lafayette High School (football, girls basketball, boxing) during the 1950s and 1960s.
In 1952, he accepted Christ as his savior and two years later he responded to God’s call to enter Christian ministry. During his 59 years of ministry, he served as pastor of Covington Ridge Baptist Church (Kentucky), New Prospect Baptist Church (Kensington, Ga.), Peavine Baptist Church (Rock Spring, Ga.), and Mission Glen Baptist Church (Rossville). During his ministry, he served in many leadership capacities in the Coosa (Northwest Georgia) Baptist Association and served one term as vice president of the Georgia Baptist Convention.
Rev. Wells served as a volunteer chaplain at Hutcheson Medical Center for 55 years. He also served as a chaplain for Hutcheson Hospice for over 20 years.
Rev. Wells served as camp pastor for Georgia Baptist Convention Brotherhood Department Royal Ambassadors at Camp Glynn in Brunswick and Camp Kaleo in Forsyth for over 30 years. He also had extensive involvement in Camp Scot Patterson in Ringgold, serving as camp director and camp pastor.
He was also involved in community recreation: little league baseball in LaFayette; recreation football in Chickamauga; and Golden Gloves Boxing in Chickamauga, and church league softball.
He was preceded in death by his father and mother, Raymond and Addie Lee (Dempsey) Wells; and great-granddaughter, Sarah Lennon Walker.
Rev. Wells is survived by his wife of 60 years, Joyce Elrod Wells; brother, Wayne (Jo Ann) Wells; his children, Vic (Carol Brand) Wells, Cindy Wengert, and Steve (Dixie) Wells; grandchildren, Krishna Brooke (David) Castleberry, Lindsay Wells, Nicole (Robbie Harrison) Wengert, Joseph Wengert, Melissa Wells, Stacy Wells, Amy (Greg) Raub, Winter Park, Fla., Katy (Donny) Green, Villa Rica, Ga.; great-grandchildren, Madeline and Julia Castleberry, Boone Wells, and Brennan Harrison, all of Ringgold; Austin and Sarah Kate Green, and Brady and Luke Raub.
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 22, in the funeral home chapel with Reverend Dan Whitaker and Reverend Terry Burns officiating. Interment will be in Peavine Cemetery with fellow ministers serving as honorary pallbearers.
Visit www.heritagefh.com to share words of comfort with the family and view the memorial tribute.
Memorial contributions may be made to Mission Glen Baptist Church, P.O. Box 277, Rossville, Ga. 30741.
The family will receive friends from 1-4 and 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday at Heritage Funeral Home, Battlefield Parkway.