Bell, Gerald E. 1928-2012

BELL, PEARCE

Posted By: Volunteer Transcriber
Date: 9/20/2012 at 06:52:01

Gerald E. Bell

Gerald E. Bell, 84, of Grinnell died Sunday, Sept. 16, 2012, at St. Francis Manor in Grinnell.

A funeral service is scheduled for 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 19, at the Sheridan United Methodist Church, northeast of Grinnell. Burial will be in the Sheridan Cemetery. Visitation will be from 2 to 8 p.m. today, Sept. 18, at the Smith Funeral Home in Grinnell with the family present from 6 to 8 p.m.

Memorial contributions may be directed to the Sheridan United Methodist Church.

Gerald was born on March 1, 1928, in Poweshiek County, Iowa, near Grinnell, the son of Clarence Virgil and Helen Mae Pearce Bell. He was raised in the Poweshiek County area while attending school in Ewart and Montezuma. He was a 1946 graduate of Grinnell High School and then attended Iowa State University. He was a veteran of the United States Army during the Korean Conflict.

Gerald farmed in Sheridan Township and was a rural mail carrier for many years. He retired from the postal service in 1993. He moved to Seeland Park in Grinnell in 2004.

He was a member of the Sheridan United Methodist Church, Farm Bureau and Sheridan Grange. He enjoyed bowling, fishing and reading. He was a fan of the Iowa Hawkeyes, Iowa State Cyclones, Chicago Cubs and St. Louis Cardinals. He was a former pitcher in a local fast-pitch softball league.

Survivors include two brothers, Larry (Judy) Bell of Newton and Loren Bell of Fontana, Calif.; and many nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers, Donald and Howard Bell. ~ The Newton (IA) Daily News, September 18, 2012.