May 25, 1912 – Jan. 15, 2012

LIBERTY — Memorial services for Gladys D. Bell, 99, of Liberty, who died peacefully Sunday, Jan. 15, 2012, at Liberty Community Living Center, will be at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Liberty United Methodist Church with the Rev. Gary Harper officiating.

Burial will be 1 p.m. Thursday at Memory Lawn Cemetery in Natchitoches, La.

Arrangements are under the direction of Brown Funeral Home in Liberty and Blanchard-Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches.

Mr. Bell was a graduate of Louisiana Normal College (now Northwestern Louisiana University, Natchitoches) and taught school for 43 years in the Louisiana and Mississippi school systems. She was known for her love of family, the children she taught, her faithfulness to Liberty United Methodist Church and her loyalty and integrity to civic and community organizations.

Mrs. Bell was a longtime member of Liberty United Methodist Church where she taught Sunday school for a number of years. She was a life member of Woman’s Society of Christian Service of the Methodist Church where she held a number of leadership roles and was awarded a Certificate of Achievement by Charles Carroll Chapter No. 77 for 50 years of faithful to the Order of Eastern Star. She was also a member of the Amite River Daughters of the American Revolution.

Mrs. Bell was born May 25, 1912, in Natchitoches Parish, La., the daughter of Millard L. and Ebbie Delacerda. She married her beloved husband, Robert H. Bell, in 1938. They moved to various locations in north Louisiana and Arkansas before locating to Liberty in 1946.

She was preceded in death by her parents; three brothers, Merlin Eugene and Arthur Delacerda and wife, Elizabeth.

Survivors include her husband of 73 years, R.H.; two daughters, Donna Rae Bell Sharp and husband, Joe, and Joy Bell Irvin and husband, H.L. Jr.; three grandchildren, Melissa Johnson and husband, Tony, Jennifer Simmons and husband, Jeff, and Jamie Rush; four great-grandchildren, Hannah and Devin Johnson, Emma and Alyssa Simmons; and a number of cousins, nieces and nephews.

Pallbearers will be Larry Cook, Freddie Cook, Curtis Seay, Bernell McGehee, Lane Boler and Mason NcNeil.

Honorary pallbearers will be Cliff Terrell, Wallace Terrell, Hoyt Terrell, Everett Wilson, Paul Newman, DDS, James Roberts, Ronnie Reynolds and Aubrey Blalock.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Methodist Children’s Home, P.O. Box 2589, Madison, MS 39130 or to a children’s charity of choice.