Moore Government: Circuit Clerk

HALEY PAYNE ROBERTS
MCO Senior Staff Writer

Clever and kind are what come to mind when you enter the Register of Deeds office. There is never a day when Pam Wells’ smiling face is not there to greet you, ready to help with whatever question or request you may have about deeds.

She may even give you a mini history lesson on Moore County if you ask the right questions. Though Wells’ journey did not begin in Moore County, she carries the heart and mindset of a true-blue Moore Countian.

Wells cites her move to Moore County as a life-changing blessing.

“I was born and raised at the southern end of Lincoln County in Vanntown. I graduated from Lincoln County High School in 1987. My husband and I moved to Moore County in 1992 to get him closer to his work in Smyrna, which allowed us to have more family time without him having to be on the road as much. That’s how we got here,” Wells said.

“It’s been a decision that we’ve never regretted and has always been something that we’ve been proud that we did. My kids were raised in Moore County and went to school here. They are now raising their own families in Charity, too.”

While she was not born and raised here, Wells is beyond complimentary of the community she’s called home for more than 30 years and is thankful to claim it as her own.

“This community has always accepted me and my family with open arms. No one’s ever made me feel any different from someone born here. You have to have the attitude to accept all walks of life. The family orientation that everyone has for my family has been felt since day one,” she said.

“When we first moved here, Mrs. Dot Steelman, who we bought our farm from, told people that my kids were her adopted grandchildren. She always treated them as her own. That’s how all the people of Moore County have made me feel. It’s an honor to say that I live here and am from here. I don’t think God could have put me in any better place.”

Wells’ professional tenure in Moore County would not begin until 2010. Before then, she worked in the legal and human resources fields.

“I started out working with an attorney where I did the deed work, the trust deeds, and anything that needed to be done, secretary-wise, for an attorney.

“Then, I moved to working in payroll with Elk Valley Professional Affiliates, which is a home care company. I moved from payroll to HR and worked in benefits and workers’ comp. I did that for about 16 years,” Wells said.

Those skills would eventually contribute significantly to Wells’ success as the Moore County Register of Deeds.

“In 2010, Mrs. Barbara [Durm] decided she was going to retire, and I decided that I wanted to try to run for Register of Deeds,” Wells said. “It’s been a blessing ever since I’ve been here. The people of Moore County are so good to me.”

The office serves as a central repository for Moore County’s history, something Wells takes pride in preserving.

“There’s a wealth of history housed in my office. We became a county in 1872, and I actually have the first deed book that started out with Moore County,” she said.

“I have all the books after, too. There are a few trustee books that are in the archives, but for the most part, all of the documents that have been recorded in the county are still here.”

Beyond the position’s duties and legacy, Wells takes the most pride in her work with the public and hopes to help everyone who walks through the door.

“If someone comes in, happy as can be, because they paid off their mortgage or they’ve bought a piece of property, it’s always an honor to be able to help them through that,” Wells said.

“My goal is to be as kind and helpful to the people who come in as I possibly can be. It’s rewarding when I feel like they’ve left and got the answers to what they came for.

“I’m not an attorney, so I can’t give legal advice, but I try to help them the best that I can with the information that I have here.”

Wells finds no greater satisfaction than interacting with the community, and her pride is evident in the relationships she has built with Moore County’s good folks.

“I love getting to see the people of Moore County come through. I always try to speak to everyone who comes out of the County Clerk’s office. They’re always so sweet and kind, whether they have time to talk or not. They’ll still give me a ‘hey’ and ‘how are you,’” Wells said.

“It has been an honor and a privilege to have this job.”

So, next time you’re in the courthouse for deeds or other business, stop by the Register of Deeds office and say hi to Wells. She’ll be waiting for you.