Anson David BELL

BELL, SEXTON, WISE, MEDURI, DAVIS

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/4/2015 at 14:54:16

Anson David Bell
December 24, 1930 --- November 25, 2009

Turner, Oregon - Anson was born Christmas Eve, 1930 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa to proud parents Mildred and Floyd Bell. As a young child, Anson lived in Eagle Grove and Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He graduated from Roosevelt High School in Cedar Rapids in the middle of his senior year and started at the University of Wyoming in March of 1950. Anson often recalled the fond memories of living in Laramie. His pursuits at the University of Wyoming beyond education, pole vaulting for the track team, ROTC, Skiing and living the life in wild Laramie. His fondest moment was meeting the co-ed who would later become his wife, Barbara Sexton from Boise, Idaho. They married October 29, 1954 and started Anson's career in the United States Army. Their duty stations included Ft Benning, Ga.; White Sands Proving Ground, N.M., Ft Rucker, KS; Ft Lewis, WA; Germany, France and Ft Walters, Texas. Anson's Army career had many highlights including deployment to West Berlin and two tours in Vietnam 1964 and 1967 and retiring as a Lt Colonel. He moved his family to Salem, Ore. in 1976 and attended Oregon College of Education, receiving his master's degree in special education. This led him to start a new career serving people with disabilities at Spruce Villa Inc., first as an administrator and eventually becoming the Executive Director. Under his leadership Spruce Villa increased the population served in the residential programs and also started a vocational service program creating work opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Anson was a strong advocate for the developmentally disabled and remained on Spruce Villa's Board of Directors until last year. Anson was very appreciative of the relationships he had built with the staff at Spruce Villa, as well as other providers of programs serving the developmentally disabled in our community. He served on multiple advisory boards to the several programs that still exist in Salem.

Anson's retirement in April 2000 allowed him to pursue many travels, and enjoy their new home in Turner, Ore. with views of Mt Jefferson and the Willamette Valley. One of his greatest retirement projects was the beautiful pond and waterfall he and Barbara designed. Anson was preceded in death by his parents Mildred and Floyd, sister Margaret Wise and devoted wife Barbara. He is survived by his daughters, Cindy Meduri (Joe) and Lisa Davis (Mike); sons, David and Dennis (Jill). He is also survived by ten grandchildren, Justin Meduri, Mario Meduri, Jennifer Bell, Dominic Meduri, Ryan Bell, Tianna Meduri, Vinnie Meduri, Zoe Davis, Amanda Bell and Ian Bell, as well as seven great-grandchildren, Ysabella Meduri, Antonio Meduri, Milana Meduri, Santino Deduri, Alexander Meduri, Ava Meduri and Lola Meduri.

Anson lived life to the fullest up to the very end. The past five years of his life were some of the best with his family and were made possible by the wonderful efforts of his daughters, Cindy and Lisa as well as the great entourage of family and friends who he often traveled with. Visitation will be held at City View Funeral Home from 5 p.m. - 7 p.m. Wednesday, December 2. A Memorial service will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, December 3 in the Chapel at City View Funeral Home. Inurnment will follow at City View Cemetery. Memorial contributions may be made to the International Rett Syndrome Foundation, 4600 Devitt Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45246. Arrangements are by City View Funeral Home, South Salem, Oregon.

Statesman Journal - Salem, Oregon
November 29, 2009