Carmelita Lou Bell

Carmelita Lou Bell passed away in Morgan Hill, CA, on December 4, 2018, at the age of 92.

She was born on January 23, 1926, in Westmoreland, Kansas, to Ivan Quit Baldwin and Elizabeth Ethel Janzen Baldwin.  She grew up in Sturgis, SD, and met Burton Harold Bell at the Days of ‘76 Dance in Deadwood, SD, in 1946.  They married on January 30, 1947, in the First Presbyterian Church in Sturgis. They lived in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, for a time and then moved to Lead, SD, and then to Albuquerque, NM, where Burton worked for Sandia Laboratories when he was called back from the Naval Reserves to the Korean War.  From Albuquerque, they moved to Adel, IA, where they owned a Western Auto Store.  Sandia Laboratories called again so they moved back to Albuquerque in 1957 and lived there until 1980.  In that year, the sea and sailing called Burton to move with Carmelita to Port Townsend, WA, where they lived until 1997.  They decided to live closer to family and moved to Stillwater, OK.  Burton passed away in 2002, and Carmelita continued to live in Stillwater, OK, until 2013 when she moved to Morgan Hill, CA, to be near her daughter who had moved to California in 1998.

Carmelita and Burton had three children, Larry Burton Bell (Albuquerque), James Harold Bell, and Janet Lynne (Bell) Conrey (Morgan Hill, CA).  She was predeceased by her son, James (1984), and her husband, Burton (2002).  She is survived by her son, Larry and wife Nancy; granddaughters, Shannon Little and Erin Frick, and great-grandchildren Julianne and Sophie Frick, and Toby Little.  She is also survived by her daughter, Janet and husband J. Brian Conrey; their children, Brianna Donaldson, Jennifer Nuno, and James Richard; and great- grandchildren, Andrew and Alexander Donaldson.

Carmelita participated in many activities with her children and husband throughout her life.  She was a partner with Burton to help him with whatever endeavor he had from owning and operating various apartment complexes to participating in fishing, camping, sailing, and gardening.  She was an active member in 4-H, the Homemaker’s Extension Club, President of Jefferson County, WA, Extension Club, and loved to do crafts and tole paint and was a member of the Tole Painters’ Society.  She painted many beautiful paintings throughout her life and enjoyed sharing them with others.  Burton and she also sailed to Hawaii twice and to Alaska once on their sailboat.  What adventures they had together!

A Funeral Service will be held on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at 1:00 p.m.  at FRENCH-  Lomas Chapel.   Interment will take place on Monday, December 17, 2018 1:30 p.m.  at Santa Fe National Cemetery, where Burton Bell is buried.