CHARLES RAYBURN WELLS

Charles Rayburn Wells entered into eternal rest on Sunday, June 16, 2024. He was known by most folks as Ray. He was born September 26, 1937, in Dorchester, VA to Richard and Maude Minnix Wells. He had six sisters Madeline, Linda, Yvonne, Janice, Nancy and Judy and one brother, Richard Jr.

Growing up in Dorchester he loved the mountains, and it came as no surprise to find young Ray camping out in the mountains above Dorchester. Many times he walked from Dorchester across the hill to Norton and up the mountains to the High Knob Recreation Area where he would camp for three or four days. His love for the mountains and their beauty sent him traveling all over the US and parts of Canada to view the beauty of what he called "God's wondrous creation."

Ray joined the US Army in 1953 to get his GI Bill for college. He rose to the rank of Sgt. and served 3 years in the Army, including 16 months in Korea. After returning from Korea, he was as Infantry Drill Instructor in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. He went to college in Brevard County, Florida. He married Shirley Anne Amburgey in April 1956. Shirley died with cancer in January 1994. They had four children, Rocky, Vicki, Shane and Robyn. After Shirley's death Ray met and married his second wife, Anna Ruth Williams Breeding on July 9, 1994, in Norton, Va. They lived in the Josephine section of Norton. Ray and Anna spent much of their time traveling around Europe, Alaska, Hawaii, and Northeast USA. Anna was a dancer and that is where Ray met and fell in love with Anna and her dancing feet. Ray also loved to dance, and Anna taught him a lot about dancing during their married years.

Anna was a mother to my four children, and they loved her just like they did with Shirley, their birth mother. Life for me has been good for me. I lost Shirley in death and Anna lost her husband Spencer in death. Together we made our marriage a positive relationship with me and our kids. Meeting Anna was a real blessing to me after she lost her husband Spencer and I lost my wife Shirley. God has blessed us both with a loving marriage and a wonderful time together. They had been married for 30 years. I don't know how I would have survived if Anna had not come into my life. God has a great way of working things out in a time of sorrow and sadness. Today, Ray is in his eternal home in Heaven.

The family will receive friends from 4-6 pm Wednesday, June 19, 2024, at Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home in Norton, Va. Services will be conducted at 6 pm in the funeral home chapel with Rev. Robert Fultz, Jr. and Rev. Scott Addison officiating. Graveside military rites will be conducted at 11 am Thursday, June 20, 2024, at Powell Valley Memorial Gardens, Family and friends will meet at the funeral home by 10:30 am to travel in procession to the cemetery.

Hagy & Fawbush Funeral Home of Norton is serving the family.