Elma Beatrice Bertasi Jordan Bell

Elma Beatrice Bertasi Jordan Bell, the daughter of Adelino and Rosa Gaspari Bertasi died Friday, 27 March 2009. She was preceded in death by her husbands, Lawrence Elmo Jordan and Harrington Bell, and two brothers, Adelino and Anthony Bertasi and a beloved son-in-law, Adam Jerome Condo. Mrs. Bell leaves a sister, Mrs. Rose Miner; four children, Antoinette Condo, Lynne Jordan Bowers, Leah Sherman, and Larry Jordan; two sons-in-law, Rod Bowers and David Sherman, a daughter-in-law, Margaret Jordan, two grandchildren, Adam Jordan Condo and Mary Condo Lodge; a grandson-in-law Rick Lodge, and two great-grandchildren, Hannah and Jacob Lodge and many nieces and nephews. Mrs. Bell was born in Memphis on August 21, 1913. She attended kindergarten and first grade at St. Agnes Academy and elementary and high school in Italy. After her family’s return to Tennessee, she graduated from Bartlett High School. Mrs. Bell was a voice pupil of Lillian C. Martin at the Memphis Conservatory and Sister Consalada at Siena College and was an active member of the Beethoven Club. Her beautiful soprano voice was an asset to several church choirs and singing groups for the rest of her life. For over twenty-five years she and her husband Lawrence co-owned a grocery in Forest Hill. After retirement, Mrs. Bell painted, traveled, danced, and logged thousands of hours as a volunteer with the Pink Ladies at both St Francis and Methodist Hospitals and participated in the activities of the Lewis Senior Center and “Merrymakers” of Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish. Mrs. Bell’s beautiful voice, smile and supportive manner will be missed by all her family and friends. A memorial Mass will be celebrated at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church in Germantown at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, 4 April. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be sent to the deceased’s favorite charities, St. Agnes Academy and the Heart Association.