Dates
Wilma Jean (Wells) Abell, 90, of San Angelo, Texas, passed away peacefully on July 14, 2026, with her daughters by her side.
Jean was born on September 20, 1935, in Denton, Texas, to the late John Haskin Wells and Wilma Lorene (Austin) Wells. She grew up with three sisters, the late Johnnie Bilyeu, Joanna Burton, and Janet Glover. During World War II, her father served in the Coast Guard and was stationed in Corpus Christi. Jean often recalled school blackouts, the sound of military aircraft overhead, and air raid sirens. In 1943, the family returned to Denton, where her father became a school principal and her mother worked as a registered nurse.
Jean graduated from Denton High School in 1954 and maintained those friendships through annual class reunions. She attended North Texas State College (now the University of North Texas), where she studied education. During her senior year, she met the love of her life, Donald Monroe Abell, through mutual friends. Don began attending the Church of Christ, where their love story began. After graduation, Don served in the Army, stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and later in Paris, France, while Jean began her teaching career at T.G. Terry Elementary in Dallas. They wrote to each other nearly every day for two years until Don returned home. They were married on June 11, 1960, at the Little Chapel-in-the-Woods on the campus of Texas Woman's University.
The couple made their home in San Angelo, where Don worked for the City of San Angelo for 37 years and Jean devoted 35 years to teaching in the San Angelo Independent School District. She loved making learning fun, creating games to help her students master math skills while building lasting memories in her classroom. Over her career, she touched the lives of more than 1,000 children at Reagan, Fairview, Santa Rita, and Glenmore Elementary Schools. Former students often told her she had been their favorite teacher.
Jean and Don were blessed with three daughters: Cathy, Jennifer, and Beverly. She taught us the value of high expectations. "I wish you could be lucky enough to find a man like your dad... but God broke the mold when He made Don Abell!" She was smart, steadfast, and a natural-born leader. She taught us the value of true friendships that lasted more than 50 years. She always welcomed our friends and enjoyed catching up with them; to many, she was known as "Momma Abell."
Jean and Don faithfully attended Johnson Street Church of Christ for more than 40 years. Jean was active in the Texas State Teachers Association, the PTA, the Garden Club, and the Philia Club, where she served in several offices over the years. Above all, she treasured the lifelong friendships she made throughout her life.
She is survived by her devoted husband of 66 years, Donald M. Abell; her daughters, Jennifer Morgan (Jim) of Richardson, Texas, and Beverly Schilling (Matt) of Watts, Oklahoma; her granddaughters, Emily Morgan of Fayetteville and Bren Schilling of Fayetteville; her grandson, Matthew Schilling of Tahlequah, Oklahoma; her sisters, Joanna Burton and Janet Glover (Bill); and many beloved nieces, nephews, and dear friends.
Jean was preceded in death by her eldest daughter, Cathy Ford; her parents, John Haskin and Lorene Wells; her sister, Johnnie Bilyeu & brother-in-law, Russell Bilyeu; her brother-in-law, Dr. Jim Burton; and several dear friends.
Funeral Services will be held at Harper Funeral Home 2606 Southland Blvd. San Angelo, TX 76904, on Tuesday, July 21, 2026 at 11:00 AM with interment following at Johnson’s Lawnhaven Memorial Garden. A visitation will be held on Monday, July 20, 2026 from 5:00 to 7:00 PM at the funeral home.
A memorial may be made to: Meals for The Elderly