Martha French Wells

With that wry little smile only she could deliver, Martha “Mimi” Wells, was always pleased to remind each of her deeply loved children & grandchildren that every year, the day after her birthday, the landscape of her beloved America celebrates with fireworks and parades. Born July 3rd, 1947 in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania, Mimi’s first role in life was that of little sister to her loving & competitive older brothers: Pearson “Pete” and Arch Cummin.

As her 75 years of life unfolded from there, Mimi’s most significant relationships and experiences would be forged through her love for horses.

The first of these deep connections would develop with her mother, Martha “Marty” Graham French with whom she shared an insatiable love for horses and sport. As early as 5 years old, Mimi could be sighted jumping high fences throughout the horse show circuits that dotted the East Coast. By the age of 6, she would be crowned 1954 Reserve Children’s Champion at the Philadelphia National Horse Show. And so it went, year after year. Championship trophies and ribbons, until tragedy struck the family when they lost their beloved mom, at the incomprehensible age of 39. Mimi was 11, and alongside her brothers, forced to grow up very quickly.

Mimi’s father, Pearson Church Cummin Jr., a veteran of WWII, would do his best to raise the kids, and eventually get re-married to another tremendous woman, Polly Crawford.

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“Hard-headed”, “one tough cowgirl,” “the strongest and most independent woman I know.” The descriptions of Mimi’s personality were nothing, if not consistent. And clearly forged early on. She would start as she finished: forging her unique path, living life on her own terms.

Although both of her brothers went off to Harvard, Mimi opted to go her own way, choosing to further her education on the other side of the country: at the University of Arizona. Rather than settle into a typical job out of college, she weaved her way across the Pacific Ocean to take a bartending job in Waikiki, Hawaii. After all, it was the late ‘60s, and you only live once. So why the heck not.

When island fever (and perhaps one too many Mai Tais) finally set in about 6 months later, Mimi returned to the mainland… and to horses. When star Ruidoso Downs jockey Dwayne Wells caught sight of the “new gallop girl,” he knew he had to meet her. His opportunity presented itself when the pool table in the local horseman’s bar opened up. Holding a cue stick, Dwayne walked right up to her sitting there on her bar stool: “Do you want to be my partner?”

The two were inseparable from that day forward.

In January of 1972, Mimi and her brothers tragically lost their father at age 58.

Mimi and Dwayne were married in October of 1972, and they welcomed their first son Daniel Dwayne a year later. Two years after that, they welcomed another boy to the family, David Pearson Wells.

Blending in from Dwayne’s previous marriage was older sister Lori Danielle Wells, and so began 50 years of carving out a life on a small ranch they purchased on Windes Drive in Orange, California.

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Their mutual love for horses propelled Mimi and her husband into the next two decades. As a team, they built DWM Racing Stables: breeding, training, and racing quarter horses through the rotating meets between Los Alamitos, Bay Meadows, and Hollywood Park. Up at 5am, grabbing a quick nap in the afternoons when possible, and then racing at night. The horse business was a 24/7 operation with emotional highs & lows. But they were doing what they loved most, as they raised their two sons and daughter in the midst of it all.

The business wasn’t cheap. And it wasn’t easy. In order to makes ends meet, Mimi and the family always did everything they could to get buy. Her boys will recall that the Hillsdale Inn in San Mateo was just one of many hotels where they were sent back in to the room before driving off… just to be absolutely sure there were no extra soaps or complementary toiletries that may have been left in the bathroom.

Mimi raised her boys to be strong, independent, and resourceful. In the Summers they sold candy door-to-door, and around Christmas time, they plucked Mistletoe from the Maple trees and sold that. Early one Saturday morning when they were around 7 and 9 years old, the boys saw a TV commercial for a new board game: Operation. When they told Mimi how badly they wanted it, she said, “well you’d better get to work then!” Four hours later, the dust, cobwebs and dead rats in the barn had been swept out, and every feed bin or piece of tack had been cleaned and put back in its place. The boys had the $16 they would need and were peddling their bikes down the road, 3 miles to get to Toy City. It was early afternoon when the boys got home. They laid out the shiny new game on the living room carpet and quickly realized, that neither had “a very steady hand.” Since it was still plenty hot out, Mimi took them back up to the (now very clean) barn to go horseback riding. Lori joined them, and the four rode bareback down to the old dam at Santiago Oaks Park to take the horses swimming. It was a good day.

In 1986, the family endured another blow when they lost their beloved Lori, who was killed while galloping a horse one morning at the race track in Del Mar. She was 19.

Life continued onward. DWM Racing Stables enjoyed tremendous success with horses winning hundreds of races; the boys earned stellar grades in school, became champion wrestlers, prom king & ASB President; and Mimi added to her trophy collection on horseback- racing alongside her husband in steeplechase for the West Hills Hunt Club.

Whenever she took her boys riding, she would veer off at the sight of any fallen tree: “Just follow my lead, look straight ahead, and trust your horse. He’ll make the jump.”

Not long after her boys had gone off to college, tragedy struck once more when Mimi lost the love of her life to a heart attack. Dwayne was 52.

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It was at this stage of her life that Mimi turned to and further solidified her boundless faith in God and our lord Jesus Christ, for solace and guidance.

Her many German Shepherds, whom she meticulously trained and navigated through Schutzhund competition, would also become an important source of sport and companionship for her.

Mimi pivoted her role in horse racing to that of Owner/Breeder, and worked tirelessly raising babies in her back yard ranch to race at Los Alamitos in Cypress, CA.

Meanwhile, through the years, she was blessed to witness the marriage of both her sons, develop lasting relationships with their sweethearts, and be there fully for the birth, growth, and magical presence of her eight grandchildren:

Victoria Wells, Taylor Wells, Elizabeth Wells (Rosa Curiel)

Jadon Wells, Emerson Wells, Troy Wells (Rachelle Pettinato)

Torin Wells, Hunter Wells (Nomi Nilson)

One of the most cherished places she ventured to on multiple occasions with her entire family was the E Bar L Ranch in Greenough, Montana. Daily horseback riding, rafting, fishing, great food, and baseball at sun down. At 70 she had the same energy, enthusiasm, and vitality she did at age 7 when her family had taken her to that very same place.

One thing Mimi always dreamed of, prayed for, and worked towards: was the idea of raising a true Superstar racehorse from right there in her back yard in Orange.

After 49 years in the sport, in 2020, that dream came true when her colt, Tell Cartel, won the $1 million Super Derby and was subsequently named World Champion 3-year-old Quarter Horse.

But Tell Cartel, who will continue on as a Stallion, did more than just cement her legacy in the sport.

Mimi often said to her closest friends, that Tell was so much more than a million-dollar horse: he was the catalyst who brought her closer than ever to her sons: David with relentless enthusiasm and smart decision making, and even managing back-office operations on her behalf… and Dan, who is now very active in his own right as an owner/breeder in Thoroughbred Racing circuit, and who Mimi was already able to join in the Winner’s Circle at Santa Anita.

Support. Encouragement. Love. Every time she had one-on-one time with her Grandchildren, they always came away with the same feeling: “Wow, Mimi really loves me. Like, she really has my back. And she’ll do anything for me. We are so lucky to have her.”

We are all so lucky to have had her in our lives. And truth be told: somewhere, out there, we always will.

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There will be a Celebration of Life Memorial Service held for Mimi from 11:00am to 12:00 noon on September 25th, 2022 at the Fairhaven Memorial Park & Mortuary in Santa Ana, CA.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.fairhavenmemorial.com for the Wells family.