Lilah Bell

Lilah Mae Bell, 102, a life-long resident of Scott County, died Monday, February 14, 2011 at the Iowa Masonic Health Facilities in Bettendorf, Iowa.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 A.M., Friday, February 18, 2011 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Pleasant Valley, Iowa, where she was a longtime and faithful member.  Visitation will be held from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at McGinnis-Chambers Funeral Home in Bettendorf.  A brief memorial service will be held at 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home on Thursday evening.  Burial will be in Davenport Memorial Park.  In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, Meal Service of Scott County, the Center for Active Seniors, Inc. (CASI), or the Putnam Museum.

Lilah was born July 16, 1908 in Davenport, the daughter of Edwin & Mabel (Hitchcock) Mergy.  She graduated from Davenport High School in 1925, where she was inducted into the Hall of Honor in 1994, and from the former St. Luke’s Hospital School of Nursing in 1929.

She was united in marriage to Walter S. Bell on March 1, 1932 in Lacon, Illinois.  He preceded her in death on April 4, 1980.

During the Depression, Lilah was a visiting nurse in Scott County and during World War II and also an instructor of Home Nursing classes for the American Red Cross. She then served as financial secretary and school board secretary for the Pleasant Valley School District for 14 years. In 1963, she established the Homemaker Service in Davenport and served as its Director until she retired in 1977. Later, until her vision was impaired, she was a volunteer counselor for the Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIIP).

She served as financial secretary for Trinity Lutheran Church for 21 years and was a member of the Social Ministry Committee.  In addition, she was on the board of Luther Manor and served as secretary for 9 years. Lilah was also a 76-year member of the Silver Creek Chapter of the Order of Eastern Star and had served as Worthy Matron.
Additional memberships included the Putnam Museum Guild where she was past-president and former volunteer, the Clarissa C. Cook home where she was past-secretary and president,  past-president, treasurer and director of the LeClaire Women’s Club, past-secretary and director of the Pleasant Valley Farm Bureau, past-secretary of the CASI board, past-president and treasurer of the Quota Club, past-president of the  Pleasant Valley High School PTA, past-president of the Scott County PTA, and past-secretary of the Duck Creek School PTA.  More recently, she was the volunteer chair of the Blind and Visually Impaired Support Group at CASI and also greatly enjoyed the CASI weekly line and pattern dancing activities.

Lilah received many awards over the years.  In 1967, she was honored for her 25 years as a Home Nursing instructor for the American Red Cross.  In 1975, she was named the “Most Admired Woman in the Quad-Cities” and three years later was named as an Outstanding Iowan representing Scott County Senior Citizens at the Iowa State Fair, serving as a delegate to the Legislative Panel.  She won the Diana award in 1980 and was awarded a certificate of appreciation for being a peer reviewer for the National Homecaring Council in 1984.  In 1988, she was given the Volunteer Award by the Iowa Medical Auxiliary. She was one of the inaugural inductees in the Quad-Cities Senior Hall of Fame in 2008 and, in celebration of her centennial year, the grand marshal for that year’s Fourth of July parade in Bettendorf.

Lilah enjoyed volunteering and traveling extensively.  Her favorite visit was to Kenya, Africa.  Because she was 89 at the time, she was named “Mama Safari” and sat with the driver during her African safari, which included, because she was always young at heart, the hot-air balloon ride over the Serengeti restricted to those under 75.

Those left to honor her memory include her sons and daughters-in-law, Dr. Jerry A. Bell (Mary Ann Stepp) of Silver Spring, Maryland and Thomas L. Bell (Peggy Gripshover) of Bowling Green, Kentucky; five grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; her sister, Virginia Morton of Bettendorf; and two special former daughters-in-law.

In addition to her husband, Walter, she was preceded in death by her parents; one son; one grandson; two sisters and two brothers.

Online condolences may be expressed to the family by visiting Lilah’s obituary at www.McGinnis-Chambers.com.