Most of my information on the family of Oliver Perry Wells is from Sheryl Warren, 4099 Sharon Park Lane, Sharonville, OH 45241. Her sources include an index to Menifee Co. KY marriages, the family bible of her grandfather, and something she noted as "Menifee Cemeteries" (I don't know if this is a book or if she is referring to a personal cemetery visit.)

Oliver Perry Wells was a volunteer from Kentucky in the Mexican-American War. He enlisted at Owingsville, went to New Orleans, LA, and from there to Veracruz, Mexico on the ship Palestine. In Sep 1847 after the battle for Mexico City, he returned to New Orleans in April 1848 before his marriage to Elizabeth Downing.

About four years after marrying Elizabeth, he began a relationship with her sister Nancy, who was at the time living with her mother and stepfather, Abe Ellington. Oliver and Nancy had two children together, born in 1854 and 1859. Around 1861 or 1862 he built a house for Nancy and their children next door to the house he lived in with Elizabeth. The children of the two families grew up together as siblings.

Her death certificate states Elizabeth Wills, age 84 years 8 months 7 days, born 31 July 1829 in Indiana, died 8 April 1913 in Menifee Co., Ky, widowed, father Dennis Downing, mother’s maiden name Mary McCormac, cause of death dropsy, informant W. G. Wills, Frenchburg, Ky, burial in Wills Cemetery, Willington, Ky.

(All of the Wills should be Wells, including Wellington, which is a tiny community on Rt. 460, between Denniston and Ezel.)

In the 1910 census she is listed as 81, widowed, with her son Robert.

Morgan Co. marriage book 1, p. 97, records marriage on 18 Apr 1849 of O. P. Wells and Elizabeth Downing.

1850 census of Morgan Co., Ky, (district unstated) enumerated 20 Aug, lists on p. 217 as family #317:
Oliver Perry Wells, 24; Elizabeth, 24; Benjamin F., 3/12. All born in Kentucky.

1860 census of Morgan Co., Ky, division 2, enumerated July 26, lists on p. 94 as family #621:
O. P. Wells, 34, farmer; Elizabeth, 30; Benjamin, 10; Millicent, 9; Raney (m), 7; Edmund, 5; James, 4; Alonzo, 2; Oliver, 2/12; Daniel Wells, 21. All born in Kentucky.

The next household is that of Richard Wells age 55 with wife Sarah 53.

1870 census of Dry Ridge precinct, Menifee Co., Ky, enumerated 3 July, lists on p. 8 as family #50:
Wells, Perry, 44, farmer; Elizabeth, 40; Milicent, 18; Rainey (m), 16; Edmund, 15; James, 14; Alonzo, 12; Breckinrige, 10; Mary, 8; Robert, 5/12, b. Jan.

1880 census of Menifee Co., Ky, Ridge precinct, enumerated 12 June, lists on p. 32 as family #263/280:
Wells, Oliver P., 54, general merchant; Elizabeth, 50, wife; James, 24, son; Brackenridge, 20, son; Mary E., 18, dau; Robert L., 9, son; Benjamin F., 78, father; Jane, 52, sister; Alington, Mary, 76, mother in law; Downing, Mary, 45, sister in law.

Also listed on the same page are their son Benjamin with wife Lucinda, their son Alonzo with wife George Ann, Oliver’s brother Daniel with wife Ellenton, and Oliver & Nancy Downing’s daughter Louisa with husband George Wells.

1900 census of Menifee Co., Ky, district #5, enumerated 6 June, lists on p. 5B as family #74:
Wells, Oliver P., 74, b. Dec 1825, Ky/Ky/Ky; Elizabeth, wife, 70, b. July 1829, Ind/Ky/Ky.