Dorothy Louise Bell

Bell, Dorothy Louise
1917-2009 On November 6, 2009 in Glendale, Arizona, Dorothy Louise Bell (nee Mackensen) passed to her eternal rest at age 91. She is survived by two brothers, Rev. Gordon Mackensen and Rev. Robert Mackensen; four children, Sheila Thompson, Arthur Bell, Robert Bell, and Charles Bell, and their spouses, respectively Ray Thompson, Dayle Bell, Jane Bell, and Julie Bell; thirteen grandchildren; fifteen great-grandchildren; and sixteen great-great-grand children. Dorothy was born on Dec. 7, 1917, in Moorhead City, Minnesota. She excelled in music, earning voice and instrumental degrees at Valparaiso University. She met her husband, Arthur Patterson Bell, and began an eventful married life together that lasted 59 years. Dorothy founded and taught in preschools and kindergartens at Calvary Lutheran Church and Christ Lutheran Church. A woman of deep faith and concern for others throughout her life, Dorothy was perpetually involved in charitable activities through her church and civic organizations. She and her husband served as Peace Corps volunteers in rural regions of the Philippines, where Dorothy established kindergartens for children with disabilities. Enthusiastic travelers, Dorothy and Art visited many countries during their marriage, especially enjoying the Galapagos Islands, where Dorothy got to see the ultimate examples of her lifelong favorite pet, the turtle. For more than fifty years, Dorothy devoted herself to creating Braille transcriptions for the blind, and was honored on several occasions for her work by the American Society for the Blind. Dorothy will be remembered by all who knew her as a person more concerned about others than herself; a treasured friend and confidant; and as a cheerful, brave woman whose life touched and influenced hundreds of students, friends, and acquaintances. A memorial service will be held at Glencroft Retirement Villa on Thursday, November 12th at 2pm. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that any donations be made to Hospice of the Valley or Glencroft Sarah Ruth Fund.