Edna Mae Bell

Edna M. Bell

Edna M. (Hartley) Bell, age 99 of Kirksville passed away Tuesday (January 10, 2012).

Edna was born August 13, 1912 in Russellville, MO, to John and Tena (Damph) Hartley. On April 12, 1932, she married Wallace Drace Bell and to this union three children were born. Wallace preceded her in death in 1969. Also preceding her in death were her parents, one son, James (Jimmy) in 2003, a grandson, Danny Edward Bell in 2000, a son-in-law, Kenneth Davis in 1999, two brothers, Jim in 1977 and John in 1995 and two sisters, Betty Smith in 1996 and Laura Francis on January 3, 2012.

Edna is survived by a son and daughter-in-law, John (Johnny) and Evelyn Bell of Kirksville; a daughter, Delores Davis of Freeburg, IL; a daughter-in-law, Inge Bell of Michigan; one brother, Bob (Doris) Hartley of Sedalia, MO; one sister-in-law, Janice Dodson of Willard, MO; one brother-in-law, Bill Smith of Mexico, MO’ nine grandchildren, numerous great grandchildren and great great grandchildren.

Edna was a member of the First Baptist Church in Kirksville since 1941 and was most proud of her awards for teaching Sunday School for 62 years to the 3 to 5 year old children. She loved each of them and they remembered and brought their children to her class for several generations.

Edna also had a hose mending business for many years, when nylon hose were hard to buy and this business covered many states plus overseas for the soldiers wives. Also, for many years, Edna worked on the weekly ads that Montgomery Ward put out for mailing. She would sort, bundle and tie them in batches to go different places. After he husband passed away, Edna had lost much of the hosiery business and the Montgomery Ward business and needed to supplement her income, so she started taking in ironing. Many businessmen in Kirksville will remember the immaculate way she could iron a white shirt.

Funeral service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday (January 14, 2012) at the First Baptist Church with Reverend Marty Joplin officiating. Burial will be in Maple Hills Cemetery.

Visitation will be after 12:00 noon on Friday (January 13, 2012) at the funeral home and the family will receive friends from 1:00 to 1:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Baptist Church.

Edna loved her church and her wish was, that in lieu of flowers, that everyone would donate to the First Baptist Church Building Fund in her memory.