Teri Rachel Wells

Teri Rachel Wells (61) passed away on April 30, 2025. A visitation will be held on Friday, May 9, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. at Caldwell Parrish Funeral Home & Crematory (8201 Hickman Road, Urbandale) with a celebration of life to follow at 6:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Mindspring Mental Health Alliance in memory of Teri. Click To Make A Memorial Contribution

Teri Rachel Wells died unexpectedly on April 30, 2025. She was employed by Mom’s Meals of Des Moines and loved her work there.

Teri was born on July 23, 1963, at Irwin Army Hospital, Ft. Riley, Kansas as Theodore Richard McCauley. He came into this world four weeks early, a beautiful boy, and she left us much too early, a beautiful transgendered woman. Ted married Karey Minor of Stevensville, Maryland, and two sons, Joshua and Connor were born of that union.

After the death of her sister, Kelly Shawn McCauley, in 2013, Ted decided life was much too short to be so unhappy and started her transition to female in 2014.

Teri was a seeker of knowledge and could learn anything she set her mind to from rocketry to ice hockey, pool, building computers for herself and her boys, and was also an accomplished photographer. Ted served three years in the U. S. Army as a radar technician.

Teri is survived by her parents, Richard and Susie (Waltz) McCauley, her sister, Brandi McCauley, her sons, Joshua and Connor McCauley, and her niece, Gabby Buchholtz.