Gale, Lucille Bellwood 1918-2007

GALE, BELLWOOD, STEWARD

Posted By: Jim Gale (email)
Date: 12/9/2007 at 15:34:12

LUCILLE BELLWOOD GALE

Lucille Bellwood Gale, of Akron, Iowa, died Friday, December 7, 2007 at the Algona
Manor Care Center in Algona, Iowa where she was a resident.

Mrs. Gale was born June 3, 1918 on a farm near Akron, Iowa the daughter of Dolton and Maude Steward Bellwood. She attended rural schools in South Dakota before moving to Akron with her family in 1930. She graduated from Akron High School in 1936 and attended Westmar College in LeMars, Iowa.

She began teaching at the age of nineteen, and taught at many rural Iowa schools including Breezy Hill, Portland Township, Union Consolidated School, near Le Mars, and Wall Lake, Iowa School. She was the only teacher in Plymouth County with a two-year degree that made her eligible to teach in a consolidated school. In 1943, she along with her sister Irene worked at the Boeing Aircraft Factory in Seattle, Washington helping to build bombers for the military during World War II.

She married Matthew James Gale, son of Lawrence and Catherine Gale, on September 12, 1946 in Akron, Iowa after his discharge from the Army. Following their marriage, she taught at the Preston Township School north of Akron, and later began teaching at the Westfield, Iowa school in 1958 where she taught eighth and fifth grade. She retired from teaching at Westfield in 1982 after twenty-three years of teaching there. Also, in 1982 she completed her four-year college degree, which had always been one of her goals. She was a member of St. Patrick’s Church in Akron and St. Cecelia’s Church in Algona. She has been a member of the American Legion Auxiliary for over 35 years.

Following her husband’s death in 1999, she moved to Algona, Iowa in 2001 to be near her family and grandchildren. She had been a resident of the Algona Manor Care Center since 2005.

Lucille loved teaching and working with students. Being a teacher was her life’s passion, and she thoroughly enjoyed teaching her students in school, and then being able to watch them grow up to be adults. Lucille cherished her grandchildren Julie, Lisa, and Amy, and her great-grandchildren Will and Mara. They were truly the joy of her life and she loved them dearly.

She is survived by her son and his wife Jim and Marilyn Gale of Algona, Iowa, three grandchildren, Julie Gale Blevins and her husband Jon of Ankeny, Iowa, Lisa Gale Cibula and her husband Chris of Des Moines, Iowa, and Amy Gale of Algona, Iowa; and two great-grandchildren Will Blevins and Mara Blevins of Ankeny, Iowa.

She was preceded in death by her husband Matthew, her parents Dolton and Maude Bellwood; two brothers Lowell and Lester; and a sister Irene.