Growing up in Montclair, there was an older woman who would walk the streets of Montclair. She would walk with her head down, minding her own business and not causing any problems.
She would walk from her home at 2779 Carisbrook Drive near Skyline to the Montclair shopping area via Chelton Drive. Sometimes she would go to the library. She would go to the McCaulous Department Store.
She sometimes would take rides from her neighbors. She was very quiet and a loner.
She just always wore a gray raincoat and red rain boots.
People have different memories of her. Some thought she was related to Jack London or the Knowland Family (I can’t find anything); Some thought she was wealthy. Some thought of her as scary, spooky, or even crazy. There were many rumors about her, especially from people who didn’t know her.
If spoken to, she would talk to people and be very nice. She would purchase Girl Scouts cookies from her neighbors or donate to a school event.
I believe she was just heartbroken and lonely.
Her name was Hazel Wells.
Early Life
She was born Hazel Beatrice Clark on June 19, 1914. She grew up in Alameda with her four sisters. From what I can tell, she led an everyday life.
Marriage
In 1937 she married Oscar Donald Wells, who also grew up in Alameda. In 1941 Hazel gave birth to a son Oscar Donald Wells, Jr.
World War II
Oscar Donald Wells enlisted in the Army on December 30, 1941, in San Francisco, California, during World War II. He was 32 years old.
In March of 1943, while living in Alameda, Hazel received a letter from her husband saying he was going on leave and intended to buy their son a pet monkey. In the same mail delivery, she received a letter from the War Department saying that Staff Sargent Oscar Wells had been missing in action since March 1.
He went missing on a bombing mission in the Middle Eastern theater of operations. He is still considered missing, but they placed a marker for him in North Africa.
In October 1943, two-year-old Oscar Wells was pinned with the Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to his father.
Sometime after her husband’s death, she and her son moved to Montclair, and they lived at 2779 Carisbrook Drive, close to Skyline Blvd.
In the early hours of November 6, 1956, Oscar Wells Jr. stole a 1956 Lincoln from in front of the home of M.P. Kitchel on Camino Lenada just down the hill from his home. The keys were in the car. Wells was on parole from California Youth Authority.
A short time later, he was pulled over by a Walnut Creek policeman for speeding. He pulled off as the officer approached the car. The police took chase on the streets of Walnut Creek, going 75 to 90 miles per hour.
During the chase, the policeman noticed a tank truck start up after stopping. He pulled back on the pursuit. Wells didn’t see it and slammed head-on into the tanker at about 75 mph. He was pinned in the car. There were no skid marks.
“Shot me – get me out of my misery”
Oscar Wells Jr
He was buried three days later.
Aftermath
Hazel had lost her husband and son in tragic ways, and she probably never fully recovered from that. This might explain the way she was.
Over the years, her house has fallen in disrepair, and her neighbors step in to help her with money to turn the power, or they would hold work parties to clean up her yard or replace broken windows. She often refused help.
In 1986 the home was condemned. The electricity and water had been turned off for years. The city put an “Order to Vacate” sign on the front door. Hazel responded with a sign of her own.
“Not Vacant/Occupied by Owner”
Hazel spent the rest of her life in the Salen Luthern Home in Oakland. She died in 2008.
The house on Carisbrook was sold for $155,000 in 1992 and demolished, and a new home was built.
She was heartbroken and alone.
More Info:
- Alameda Flier is Missing – Oakland Tribune Mar 12, 1943
- Missing Airman May Be POW – Oakland Tribune Apr 8, 1943
- Oscar Wells Missing in the Middle East – Oakland Tribune April 12, 1943
- Son Gets Flying Cross for Father – Oakland Tribune Oct 25, 1944
- Posthumous Medal Awarded to Alamedan – Oakland Tribune May 5, 1944
- Boys Dies in Speed Crash – Oakland Tribune Nov 6. 1956
- Police Fire Shots Auto Theft – Contra Costa Gazette Nov 6, 1956
- Oscar Donald Well Jr – Oakland Tribune Nov 08, 1956
- Teenager Dies – Contra Conta Times Nov 8, 1956
