He married his second wife, Clara, when she was 21. Joseph moved to Oklahoma about one year after a fire destroyed his home in Illinois on 17 Mar 1932 - St Patrick’s Day. A family story about "Grandpa Joe" describes him as very stubborn. Apparently the farm house did not have an indoor bathroom, and as Grandpa Joe got older and had more difficulty getting around, the family decided to install indoor plumbing. However, Grandpa Joe did not see the need for it and continued to use the outhouse.
Listed in Logan in 1940 as a farmer (69, IL) with his wife Clara (35, IL) and children Milton (14, IL), Phyllis (12, IL), Martha (8, IL) and Jancie (2, OK).
He was listed as Joe Wells of Oklahoma City in his brother Robert’s funeral papers in 1957.