Our beautiful mom, Virginia “Louise” Bell, 83, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2023, at her home in Bremerton, Washington. Her daughters Betsy and Mischele and niece Terri Edwards were staying with her and caring for her.
Louise was born April 5, 1940, to Frank Taylor Watson Cantrell and Gladys Virginia (Turner) Cantrell in Webster County, Missouri.
Mom referred to herself as the “Mail-order Bride.” Our dad, Robert Bell had heard of this gal named Louise from a fellow Marine. Without even meeting her, Dad started writing letters to her. Dad was living back home at Johns River in Markham, about 8 miles west of Aberdeen, Washington, and Mom and her 3-year-old daughter Tealy were living in Springfield, Missouri. After writing several letters back and forth, Dad asked Mom to come to Washington state. Our mom, Louise said, “Send some money for a bus ticket and enough money for food.” Thinking she would never hear from Robert again, the money came. Our Grandma Gladys asked Mom what she was going to do. Mom replied, “Well, I guess I’m going to Washington state.” So, Mom and her daughter Tealy traveled by bus from Springfield to Aberdeen.
Robert’s sister-in-law, Shirley Bell, picked them up at the bus station. While driving out to Johns River a lot of things were going through Mom’s mind like, what have I done and what am I doing? They finally reached their destination at nearly the end of the Johns River Road. Mom stepped out of the car, Robert held out his hand to shake hers saying, “Hi, I’m Robert.” And Mom reaching out to Dad replying, “Hi, I’m Louise.”
After a homemade dinner with Dad and his family, Dad asked Mom to marry him. She said, “Let me sleep on it.” (It had been a long day of traveling.) The next day Mom told Dad “Yes” adding, “Give me six weeks. You need to get a job.” Dad had just returned home after being in the USMC from 1957-61. Then Mom added, “…and we need to find a place to live, and I need to make a dress.”
On Sept. 15, 1961, Robert and Louise were married in Cosmopolis, Washington. Betsy came along the following August and Mischele in 1968.
Mom did a few cleaning jobs throughout her life, cleaning the Bayview store that was once in Cosmopolis, and Bayview Mobile Homes. She also worked for several years at the home of Werner and Jennie Mayr in Aberdeen.
While in Grays Harbor Mom was involved in the Christian Women’s Association. She had many friends on the Harbor. She would say, “You’re only strangers until you meet.” Mom was the “Thrift Store Extraordinaire!” She absolutely loved to thrift shop! She said it was, “all about the hunt.” Every year at Christmas she made sure us girls would get our “Sallys,” (aka Salvation Army), gift, which we always looked forward to.
Mom and Dad resided in Cosmopolis from 1961-1987, until moving to Bremerton in 1987 because of work. Mom was now a full-time homemaker while Dad worked at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. If it was broke Mom could fix it! She was a very crafty lady! She could do anything from laying down their kitchen flooring to crocheting newborn baby hats for the babies meeting their daddies for the first time when the Sailors were returning home from sea. Mom enjoyed square dancing with Dad. She looked forward to going to the gym and exercising with fellow “SilverSneakers” friends. She enjoyed making jewelry, going to lunch with friends and her nightly talks with her friends on the phone. Mom and Dad enjoyed traveling all over from visiting National Parks in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, South Dakota to taking an Alaskan Cruise. They also traveled abroad to the Bahamas, Italy and Ireland. Every spring they would go back to Missouri for a couple of weeks to visit her mom, pop and family until the passing of our grandparents.
In 2015 Dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Mom cared for him for seven years until her cancer surgery. She placed Dad in Memory Care July 8, 2022, and Mom had cancer surgery July 11, 2022. Chemotherapy was completely stopped because her eyesight was tremendously affected. Mom became “Our Angel” July 1, 2023. My sister Mischele and I were by her side at her home in Bremerton.
Louise is survived by her husband Robert of Bremerton, her half-sister Rayma Horn of Missouri and three daughters, Tealy Howard of Twin Falls, Idaho; Betsy Petrich of Cosmopolis, Washington and Mischele (Doug) Thompson of Hoquiam, Washington; six grandchildren: Conn, Kyla, Angela, Sunnie, Chris and Seth, five great-great-grandchildren, Sisters-in-law Florence Edwards and Joyce Bell; Mark Simon of Cosmopolis, whom she considered her son; and many nieces and nephews.
In 1946 Louise was separated from her three younger biological brothers after the death of their father. Louise never really got to know them after they were all adopted by other families in different states. They are Robert and Max Vigus; and Ed Carney. My sister Mischele and I would like to thank our cousin Terri Edwards for all her help with caring for Mom until her passing. We could not have done it without you! We will always love you, Mom. We will miss you so much. We will see you again someday. We know we will find you “Just Beyond the Moon.” At Mom’s request there will be no funeral. Arrangements entrusted to Lewis Chapel in Bremerton. www.lewischapel.com.
