Frances R. Bell

LANCASTER - Frances Louise (Reichard) Bell, 85, died Friday, May 20, 2011 at Arbor View at Willow Valley Lancaster. Born in Milton, Pennsylvania on April 26, 1926, the eldest daughter of George Earl Reichard and Kathryn Robbins Fairchild Reichard. While growing up, she and her sisters, Julia (Schleppy) and Dorothy (Hower) worked in the family creamery business. Frances graduated from Milton Senior High School in 1944. In 1948 she graduated, cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa, from Bucknell University with a B.S. in Biology. She trained as a medical technologist at Burlington County Hospital, Mount Holly (NJ) returning home to work at Robert Packer Hospital in Sayre (PA) until her marriage to Edwin (Ned) Lewis Bell III, from Northumberland (PA) and also a Bucknell Alumnus, on December 27, 1950. While Frances and Ned were to live away from the Milton area, they remained close to their local families, high school and college classes and were very proud of their hometowns. Ned and Frances relocated to Illinois. As Ned completed his PhD in Zoology at the University of Illinois and Francis worked at the Carle Hospital-Clinic in Urbana. They returned to Pennsylvania, briefly residing in Bethlehem and then moving permanently to Reading when Ned was appointed to teach in the Biology Department of Albright College. Frances and Ned lived in Reading for more than 55 years and were active in several Albright College, Memorial Church of the Holy Cross and civic organizations. Their children, Ernest Michael Bell (Christine Luddy Bell), Stephen Thomas Bell M.D. (Wendy Lousie Stabolepszy), and Eric Leslie Bell PhD (Linda Kaszczuk) grew up in Reading, attending the public schools. When her children left home, Frances resumed her work as a Medical Technologist at St. Joseph Hospital, retiring in 1983. While retired, Frances and Ned both continued to enjoy the fellowship of the Albright College Faculty and the Memorial Church of the Holy Cross congregation. In addition, Frances became active in the Reading Historical Society, the Reading Junior Women’s Club and the Reading Symphony Orchestra Auxiliary. Frances enjoyed traveling and in retirement she and Ned were able to take several European vacations and many, many road trips throughout the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions in order to research and document their family histories. Frances’ genealogical research resulted in her membership in the Daughters of the American Revolution. She was very proud of this accomplishment and hoped that her grand-daughters would continue in her foot-steps. Frances is survived by her three sons and daughters-in-law, and eight grandchildren: Leslie Ann Bell Astley (Matthew) of Centreville, Virginia and Nicholas Alan Bell of Wellesley, Massachusetts; Timothy Michael Bell, Kerri Lynne Bell, Christopher Massie Bell, and Cameron Thomas Bell of Lancaster, Pennsylvania; Jordan Mackenzie Bell and Adrian Bell, of Webster, New York. Additionally, she is survived by her sister, Dorothy Reichard Hower, neice Kathryn Hower Martin, nephew Todd Hower and his wife Tracey, plus great-nephews Kevin and Lucas Hower, and several cousins, all in the Milton area. Frances was predeceased by her husband of almost 60 years, Edwin Lewis Bell III, on August 25, 2010. She is also predeceased by parents, her sister Julia Reichard Schleppy and her son David Schleppy, brother-in-law Paul Schleppy, and brother-in-law George P. Hower and his son Thaddeus Hower. To honor Frances, her family will receive visitors from 10 to 11 on Friday, May 27, 2011 at Bethany United Methodist Church, 107 S. Front Street, Milton, with the funeral service beginning at 11:00 A.M. with the Rev. Robert Hickox officiating. Burial will follow in the Harmony Cemetery, Milton.