Winifred Lenora Wells

Winifred Lenora Hanna Wells was born on January 17, 1925, in Miami, Florida, to Bahamian immigrants Timothy Hanna and Bernice Smith. She moved with her parents and four brothers to Detroit, Michigan, in 1929. In later years, two more brothers and a sister were born in Detroit, increasing the number of children to eight. Winifred was preceded in death by siblings Leonard Hanna, Elisha Hanna, Timothy Hanna, LaGorce Hanna, Roland Hanna, Kenneth Hanna, and Ethel Hanna Brown. Winifred grew up on Detroit’s near east side and received her education through the Detroit Public Schools System. She graduated from Northeastern High School in 1944. After completing high school, she joined the workforce at the Chrysler Corporation. She contributed to the World War II effort as a “Rosie the Riveter”, helping build aircrafts. Although she was the only one of the eight Hanna siblings who did not serve in the armed forces, Winifred’s dedication and patriotism were clearly reflected in her contributions on the home front. While living with her family on Harmon Street, Winifred met Robert Wells, a young man who had recently migrated from Georgia. Robert moved across the street from the Hanna family with his aunt and uncle, Lula Wells and Cleveland Kemp. Their friendship deepened into love, and the couple married in February 1946. Their union was blessed with six sons. During the early years of their marriage, Winifred devoted herself to raising their children, creating a warm nurturing home rooted in love, faith, and discipline. Once the youngest of her sons reached third grade, Winifred returned to work and later joined the staff at Samaritan Hospital, where she remained until her retirement at the age of sixty five. In 1998, after fifty two years of marriage, she was widowed upon the passing of her beloved husband, Robert. Having accepted Christ at an early age, Winifred was a devoted and long-standing member of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church. Her faith profoundly shaped her life, guided her actions and provided her with strength and purpose. She raised her sons in the church and, together with her husband, instilled in them the values of integrity, responsibility, and the importance of becoming good men and devoted fathers. Winifred was blessed to witness four generations of her family, a joy she treasured deeply. She delighted in the presence of her grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren, whose visits brought her immense happiness. As the family’s grand matriarch, she carried wisdom, grace, and strength that she now passes on to the next generation. Her legacy lives on in the lives she shaped and in the values she instilled. Winifred was preceded in death by her son Alan Wells, and her husband Robert Wells. She leaves to cherish her memory five devoted sons: Ronald Wells (Martha), Dennis Wells, Robert Wells (Gloria), Norman Wells (Nancy), and Sanford Wells (Terry). Five sisters-in-law, Omie Smiley, Ella Lattimore of Dublin, GA, Juanita Payne of Miami, FL, Camille Hanna of Southfield, MI and Debora Hanna of Detroit, MI. She also leaves eight grandchildren—Alethea Wells, Lanise Wells, Andrea Wells, Nneka Wells, Alexandra Johnson (Ramone), Jennifer Wells, Jonathan Wells, and Sanford Sterling Wells, four great grandchildren and five great great grandchildren who will look to their parents and elders to learn of her strength, her kindness, and the remarkable life she lived. She also leaves a multitude of family and friends from multiple locations in the country to cherish and reflect on her life.

Winifred Lenora Wells

January 17, 1925 - February 11, 2026