Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Bell, Elizabeth A. 1886 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net August 28, 2012, 4:33 pm The Ionia Sentinel, Thursday, July 15, 1886 Mrs. Elizabeth Bell, wife of Hon. A. F. Bell, who died at her home in this city on Sunday night, was born in Philadelphia, August 19, 1823. She was a daughter of Joshua and Rebecca (Coleman) Boyer. From an early age her home was in Reading, Pa., at which place she graduated at the age of fourteen from the Bethlehem seminary. Her parents came to Michigan with Gov. Porter and settled in Detroit. The children were sent back to Reading to live with an aunt to complete their education. Her mother died in Detroit in 1834. In 1838 Mr. Boyer removed to Portland, in Ionia county, where Elizabeth was married a year later at the age of 16 to Alexander F. Bell, then a rising young lawyer. Mr. and Mrs. Bell lived in Lyons one year, and came to Ionia in 1840, where their home has been most of the time since. In 1856 she had a partial stroke of paralysis which affected one side, and from the effects of which she never entirely recovered. For many years she has suffered at times from its recurrence. For nearly a year she has been confined to the house, a great sufferer, helpless, bur receiving the tender care of a devoted family. The last time she was out of the house was in August. At the last she passed away peacefully and without pain, as though falling asleep. Deceased was a kind neighbor and friend and by many acts of generosity and disinterested benevolence attracted to herself a large circle of friends. She had seven children of whom five and her husband survive her. She was a member of the Episcopal church. The funeral took place at half past one o’clock from the family residence on East Washington street, Rev. W. S. Potter and Dr. Pierson conducting the services. She was escorted to her last resting place in Highland Park cemetery, by a large number of mourning friends. The family have the sympathy of the community in their bereavement. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/b/bell19058nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 2.5 Kb