Wells H. Gage, sr., was born July 24, 1884 to Charles and Ida (Town) Gage on the family farm in Minnie Lake Township.

Wells had two sisters, Frankie and Florence. Both perished in the scarlet fever epidemic in 1889. A brother, John, arrived in 1890 and a sister, Sue, arrived in 1892.

Wells attended the Ellsbury, Minnie Lake and Moe schools in the area.

In 1904 he was certified as a teacher and he taught in the Aljoe school and the McClellan School. He then, in 1908, completed a course in pharmacy and worked as such in Oriska for a short time. In 1910 he purchased land in Ellsbury Township and also in Cass County. On November 6, 1912, he married Minnie Peter and they lived on his farm the next thirty-six years until they retired to Valley City in 1948.

Wells and Minnie raised a family of six sons and four daughters:

Charles, Edward, Paul, Fred, Well, Jr., Clarke, Louise, June, Esther and Fern. All are married and the six sons all farm in Barnes County.

Source: Barnes County History 1976 Page 76