1931
Charles
2020
Charles William Bell
September 30, 1931 — January 17, 2020
Charles William Bell passed peacefully into the hereafter on January 17th, 2020, leaving a large family.
Charles was born September 30, 1931 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the first of three sons to William James Bell Jr. and Rachel Rothada Ridley. His brothers are James Ridley Bell (Barbara), and Eugene Frank Bell (Linda, deceased). He and his wife, Jeanine White Shurtleff Bell are the parents of Annalisa Ellsworth (Scott), Laurie King (Matthew), Melinda Thompson (Curtis), Matthew Bell (Rhoda), Bonnie Anderson (Michael) and Mark Bell (Kathryn).
Charles spent his early years in Omaha, Nebraska and Cheyenne, Wyoming. During the World War II years, Charles spent 4 summers working as a cowboy on his Uncle Harry’s ranch, just north of Cheyenne. He became a cowboy at the age of 10, and a bunkhouse cowboy at age 11. It was his way to help the war effort, since the older cowboys had gone off to war.
Charles attended Cheyenne High School where his future wife, Jeanine Shurtleff, caught his eye. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and began his university studies. Charles made a serious study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was baptized in 1950. He courted and married Jeanine on September 14, 1951, in the Salt Lake City Temple.
Graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1953, Charles received a graduate assistantship at Friday Harbor Marine Labs and the University of Washington in Seattle. There they welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Annalisa in 1954.
Also, in 1954 Uncle Sam interrupted his graduate studies. Charles was drafted into the U.S. Army. This was at the end of the Korean conflict, so Charles became a medic instructor. He served at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio training recruits and thus spent the remainder of his 2-year service in Texas. While there, Charles and Jeanine added a second daughter, Laurie, to their family.
The Bell family returned to Seattle in 1956 to finish Charles’ Master of Science degree. In Seattle, Charles joined the Army Reserve to supplement his income and support his growing family. He served in the 50th General Army Hospital as the NCO in charge.
Upon receiving his Master of Science degree, Charles accepted a teaching position in Seattle’s suburban Snohomish County, teaching 9th grade science and 8th grade math. There a third daughter, Melinda, joined the family. He thought he would teach for awhile, but once again his career path was interrupted—by the Russians. They sent Sputnik out into space. The scientific community in the USA went ballistic. He decided to claim his G.I. bill benefits to become a real scientist, by earning his PhD degree. He applied to the Botany Department of Washington State University and was accepted into the graduate assistantship program.
In Pullman, WA, he was still in the Army Reserve, but there was no Army reserve unit nearby. However, there was an Air Force Reserve Unit. So one night he went to bed as an E-5 NCO in the Army and woke up an E-5 NCO in the Air Force. The Bells soon added a son, Matthew, to their family. About a year later, Charles was offered a direct commission to 1st lieutenant in the Air Force.
Upon receiving his PhD degree in 1962, Charles joined the Biology Department of San Jose State University and moved his family to San Jose, California. A daughter, Bonnie, and a son, Mark, soon completed their family.
Charles taught at San Jose State for just over 30 years. In addition to teaching biology, plant physiology, and oceanography, he became fascinated with the up and coming computer industry. He took a sabbatical and went to NASA to learn all he could about computers, and then introduced the concept of computer labs to the university and was responsible for bringing that to fruition.
In the 70’s Charles was asked to be the expert over geology, flora and fauna during the development of a new church camp, Camp Ritchie, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
After retirement the Bells soon removed to Utah, settling in West Valley City to be near Jeanine’s aging parents.
Charles had a lifelong love of music and had a strong singing voice, as does his wife. He and Jeanine performed in musicals, operas and choirs together throughout their lives. As members of the Santa Clara Chorale they performed in many places, including Carnegie Hall, Moscow, Russia and St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon moving to Utah, Charles and Jeanine soon joined the well-known Choral Arts Society of Utah and performed with them until 2015. Charles also joined the Barbershop Harmony Society for 16 years, including singing in two quartets during that time as well as two choruses, The Beehive Statesmen and The Saltaires. With the Saltaires chorus, he was privileged to compete four times (1997-2000) in the International Barbershop Harmony Society Chorus Competition, placing in the top 10 each year. When Charles and Jeanine moved to Orem, in 2014, they joined the Wasatch Chorale.
Charles and Jeanine served various missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They served in the Family History Library Mission for 8 years. For one year they served at the Utah State Prison conducting spiritual gatherings on Monday nights. From September 2000 to June 2002, they served in the Florida Tallahassee Mission as the office couple.
After both of Jeanine’s parents passed, the Bells entered senior retirement living, first in Sandy, Utah and then in 2014, to their beloved community in Orem, Utah, where together they served as coordinators of Monday night “Family Home Evenings” for 3 ½ years.
Charles has had a lifelong interest and commitment to genealogical research. He devoted much of his adult life to researching and identifying his ancestors, then writing books about them for his posterity.
Charles had a love for writing cowboy poetry inspired by his early years in Wyoming. Many of his poems can be found at cowboypoetry.com. He self-published a book, At Home on the Range, for his family and friends to enjoy.
Other church callings Charles has held include MIA Superintendent, Early Morning Seminary Teacher, Elder’s Quorum President, High Priest Group Leader, Stake High councilor, and Counselor in a Bishopric and Temple Worker.
Funeral services will be held on January 27, 2020 at 11:00 AM at the Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah. A viewing will begin prior from 9:30 – 10:45 AM. Interment to follow at Memorial Redwood Cemetery 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah.Service Information
Viewing January 27, 2020 at 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah
Funeral Service
January 27, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah
Charles was born September 30, 1931 in Cheyenne, Wyoming, the first of three sons to William James Bell Jr. and Rachel Rothada Ridley. His brothers are James Ridley Bell (Barbara), and Eugene Frank Bell (Linda, deceased). He and his wife, Jeanine White Shurtleff Bell are the parents of Annalisa Ellsworth (Scott), Laurie King (Matthew), Melinda Thompson (Curtis), Matthew Bell (Rhoda), Bonnie Anderson (Michael) and Mark Bell (Kathryn).
Charles spent his early years in Omaha, Nebraska and Cheyenne, Wyoming. During the World War II years, Charles spent 4 summers working as a cowboy on his Uncle Harry’s ranch, just north of Cheyenne. He became a cowboy at the age of 10, and a bunkhouse cowboy at age 11. It was his way to help the war effort, since the older cowboys had gone off to war.
Charles attended Cheyenne High School where his future wife, Jeanine Shurtleff, caught his eye. Upon graduation from high school, he enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie and began his university studies. Charles made a serious study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was baptized in 1950. He courted and married Jeanine on September 14, 1951, in the Salt Lake City Temple.
Graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 1953, Charles received a graduate assistantship at Friday Harbor Marine Labs and the University of Washington in Seattle. There they welcomed the birth of their first daughter, Annalisa in 1954.
Also, in 1954 Uncle Sam interrupted his graduate studies. Charles was drafted into the U.S. Army. This was at the end of the Korean conflict, so Charles became a medic instructor. He served at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio training recruits and thus spent the remainder of his 2-year service in Texas. While there, Charles and Jeanine added a second daughter, Laurie, to their family.
The Bell family returned to Seattle in 1956 to finish Charles’ Master of Science degree. In Seattle, Charles joined the Army Reserve to supplement his income and support his growing family. He served in the 50th General Army Hospital as the NCO in charge.
Upon receiving his Master of Science degree, Charles accepted a teaching position in Seattle’s suburban Snohomish County, teaching 9th grade science and 8th grade math. There a third daughter, Melinda, joined the family. He thought he would teach for awhile, but once again his career path was interrupted—by the Russians. They sent Sputnik out into space. The scientific community in the USA went ballistic. He decided to claim his G.I. bill benefits to become a real scientist, by earning his PhD degree. He applied to the Botany Department of Washington State University and was accepted into the graduate assistantship program.
In Pullman, WA, he was still in the Army Reserve, but there was no Army reserve unit nearby. However, there was an Air Force Reserve Unit. So one night he went to bed as an E-5 NCO in the Army and woke up an E-5 NCO in the Air Force. The Bells soon added a son, Matthew, to their family. About a year later, Charles was offered a direct commission to 1st lieutenant in the Air Force.
Upon receiving his PhD degree in 1962, Charles joined the Biology Department of San Jose State University and moved his family to San Jose, California. A daughter, Bonnie, and a son, Mark, soon completed their family.
Charles taught at San Jose State for just over 30 years. In addition to teaching biology, plant physiology, and oceanography, he became fascinated with the up and coming computer industry. He took a sabbatical and went to NASA to learn all he could about computers, and then introduced the concept of computer labs to the university and was responsible for bringing that to fruition.
In the 70’s Charles was asked to be the expert over geology, flora and fauna during the development of a new church camp, Camp Ritchie, in the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
After retirement the Bells soon removed to Utah, settling in West Valley City to be near Jeanine’s aging parents.
Charles had a lifelong love of music and had a strong singing voice, as does his wife. He and Jeanine performed in musicals, operas and choirs together throughout their lives. As members of the Santa Clara Chorale they performed in many places, including Carnegie Hall, Moscow, Russia and St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon moving to Utah, Charles and Jeanine soon joined the well-known Choral Arts Society of Utah and performed with them until 2015. Charles also joined the Barbershop Harmony Society for 16 years, including singing in two quartets during that time as well as two choruses, The Beehive Statesmen and The Saltaires. With the Saltaires chorus, he was privileged to compete four times (1997-2000) in the International Barbershop Harmony Society Chorus Competition, placing in the top 10 each year. When Charles and Jeanine moved to Orem, in 2014, they joined the Wasatch Chorale.
Charles and Jeanine served various missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They served in the Family History Library Mission for 8 years. For one year they served at the Utah State Prison conducting spiritual gatherings on Monday nights. From September 2000 to June 2002, they served in the Florida Tallahassee Mission as the office couple.
After both of Jeanine’s parents passed, the Bells entered senior retirement living, first in Sandy, Utah and then in 2014, to their beloved community in Orem, Utah, where together they served as coordinators of Monday night “Family Home Evenings” for 3 ½ years.
Charles has had a lifelong interest and commitment to genealogical research. He devoted much of his adult life to researching and identifying his ancestors, then writing books about them for his posterity.
Charles had a love for writing cowboy poetry inspired by his early years in Wyoming. Many of his poems can be found at cowboypoetry.com. He self-published a book, At Home on the Range, for his family and friends to enjoy.
Other church callings Charles has held include MIA Superintendent, Early Morning Seminary Teacher, Elder’s Quorum President, High Priest Group Leader, Stake High councilor, and Counselor in a Bishopric and Temple Worker.
Funeral services will be held on January 27, 2020 at 11:00 AM at the Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah. A viewing will begin prior from 9:30 – 10:45 AM. Interment to follow at Memorial Redwood Cemetery 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan, Utah.Service Information
Viewing January 27, 2020 at 9:30 - 10:45 AM
Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah
Funeral Service
January 27, 2020 at 11:00 AM
Orem 1st Ward, 80 South 280 East, Orem, Utah
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