Evelyn Wells
Encyclopedia
Evelyn Wells was a 20th century biographer and author most known for her biographies of the ancient Egyptian royals of the 18th dynasty
, Nefertiti
and Hatshepsut
.
While in the Chicago area (Palos), the family had become friends with Thorstein Veblen
and his wife, Ellen. Around 1918, young Evelyn, armed with a letter from Veblen's divorced wife, went to Fremont Older
seeking work . He asked instead that she do a piece on being an 18-year-old girl, which she promptly produced, after which she began working with Older at the San Francisco Call
, and was even part of his household for a while.
During her tenure with the San Francisco Call, she interviewed Martha Jane "Patty" Reed Lewis of the Donner Party
and wrote a series of articles in 1919 entitled "The Tragedy of Donner Lake." She also wrote serials about Lola Montez, Sarah Althea Hill, and other early California personalities.
She married Loyal James Podesta (1900–1987), the son of a well-known San Francisco florist, about 1925, and had two children with him. She retained her maiden name in her many books, though she is referred to in a few accounts as Evelyn Wells Podesta. She appears to have separated from her husband by 1950, when she purchased a home in New York for herself and her two children.
In addition to the books listed below, she also edited Betty Martin's best-selling "Miracle at Carville" (Doubleday, 1950) and its sequel, "No One Must Ever Know" (Doubleday, 1959).
In 1977, she travelled with "lifelong friend" Nathalia Walker Richmond to Colorado to revisit the childhood home of Nathalia (supposedly last living daughter of John Brisben Walker
) at Mt. Falcon, near Morrison, Colorado.
She died 6 Sep 1984 in Seattle, Washington.
Eighteenth dynasty of Egypt
The eighteenth dynasty of ancient Egypt is perhaps the best known of all the dynasties of ancient Egypt...
, Nefertiti
Nefertiti
Nefertiti was the Great Royal Wife of the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were known for a religious revolution, in which they started to worship one god only...
and Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut
Hatshepsut also Hatchepsut; meaning Foremost of Noble Ladies;1508–1458 BC) was the fifth pharaoh of the eighteenth dynasty of Ancient Egypt...
.
Biography
Evelyn Minerva Wells was born 7 Apr 1899 in Illinois to unknown parents. She was adopted by William James Wells and his wife, Edith Alice Squire by June, 1900. The family lived in the Chicago area until about 1905, when they moved to Ashland, Oregon, and then to San Jose, California.While in the Chicago area (Palos), the family had become friends with Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Veblen
Thorstein Bunde Veblen, born Torsten Bunde Veblen was an American economist and sociologist, and a leader of the so-called institutional economics movement...
and his wife, Ellen. Around 1918, young Evelyn, armed with a letter from Veblen's divorced wife, went to Fremont Older
Fremont Older
Fremont Older was a newspaperman and editor in San Francisco, California for nearly fifty years. He is best known for his campaigns against civic corruption and efforts on behalf of Tom Mooney and Warren Billings, wrongly convicted of the Preparedness Day bombing of 1916.Born in a log cabin in...
seeking work . He asked instead that she do a piece on being an 18-year-old girl, which she promptly produced, after which she began working with Older at the San Francisco Call
San Francisco Call
The San Francisco Call was a newspaper that served San Francisco, California. Because of a succession of mergers with other newspapers, the paper variously came to be called The San Francisco Call & Post, the San Francisco Call-Bulletin, San Francisco News-Call Bulletin, and the News-Call Bulletin...
, and was even part of his household for a while.
During her tenure with the San Francisco Call, she interviewed Martha Jane "Patty" Reed Lewis of the Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
and wrote a series of articles in 1919 entitled "The Tragedy of Donner Lake." She also wrote serials about Lola Montez, Sarah Althea Hill, and other early California personalities.
She married Loyal James Podesta (1900–1987), the son of a well-known San Francisco florist, about 1925, and had two children with him. She retained her maiden name in her many books, though she is referred to in a few accounts as Evelyn Wells Podesta. She appears to have separated from her husband by 1950, when she purchased a home in New York for herself and her two children.
In addition to the books listed below, she also edited Betty Martin's best-selling "Miracle at Carville" (Doubleday, 1950) and its sequel, "No One Must Ever Know" (Doubleday, 1959).
In 1977, she travelled with "lifelong friend" Nathalia Walker Richmond to Colorado to revisit the childhood home of Nathalia (supposedly last living daughter of John Brisben Walker
John Brisben Walker
John Brisben Walker was a United States magazine publisher and automobile entrepreneur, in later years a resident of Jefferson County, Colorado.-Biography:...
) at Mt. Falcon, near Morrison, Colorado.
She died 6 Sep 1984 in Seattle, Washington.