Alexander Graham Bell, Sr.
October 23, 1918 ~ December 26, 2017
Alexander Graham Bell, Sr., 99, of Jefferson City, died Tuesday, December 26, 2017, at Villa Marie Skilled Nursing Facility.
He was born on October 23, 1918, in Marianna, Arkansas, the son of the late Rev. James Rupert Bell and Sarah Jane Rupbert Bell.
He was married on January 11, 1942, in Kansas City, Missouri, to Carrie Belle Taylor who preceded him in death on October 9, 1991.
He was married on July 6, 2000, in Las Vegas, Nevada, to Ruby Jane McBride Pemberton who preceded him in death on July 23, 2006.
Mr. Bell was a 1940 graduate of O'Banner High School in New Madrid, Missouri, and attended Western Seminary in Kansas City and Lincoln University in Jefferson City.
In earlier years he was employed in maintenance with Washington School and Lincoln University Library, and later served as a warehouse clerk with the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department from 1955 to 1982.
He was a licensed funeral director with the former Dulle Funeral Home from 1966 to 1995, and with Dulle-Trimble Funeral Home from 1995 until his retirement in 2010.
He served as a doorman at the Missouri House of Representatives for twenty-three years.
Highly respected in the African American community, Mr. Bell was a member of Second Baptist Church for sixty-seven years where he served as Deacon, Trustee, Sunday School teacher, and Scout Master of Boy Scout Troop 15 troop.
He was a Past Worshipful Master of Capitol City Lodge No. 9, Free & Accepted Masons, and was a 32nd degree member of Queen City Scottish Rite Bodies in St. Louis, Missouri.
He was a director of Baptist Training Union, Board Chairman of Boy Scout Troop 115, member of the Order of the Arrow, and served on the board of directors of Longview Cemetery and the former Hospice of Jefferson City & Mid-Missouri.
Survivors include four children, Ruby (Ivy) Smith, St. Louis, Missouri; Alexander G. (Patricia) Bell, Jr., Chesapeake, Virginia; Ruth Arthur, Atlanta, Georgia; and Joseph (Patricia) Bell, Indianapolis, Indiana; one step-son, Michael B. (Peggy) Pemberton; eleven grandchildren; ten great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Lula Davis and Rosie Hurt, both of Peoria, Illinois; and a host of nieces, nephews, and friends who will all miss him.
He was preceded in death by one daughter, Joann Hare; eight brothers, C.D., Michael, Henry, Nick, Virgil, George, James Jr., and Robert Lee Bell; and five sisters, Ethel Smith, Esther Ellis, Helen Purvis, Bea Cook, and Ruth Franklin.
Funeral services will be 12 noon on Tuesday, January 2, 2018, at Second Baptist Church with the Rev. Cornell C. Sudduth officiating.
Burial will be in Longview Cemetery.
Visitation will be 10-11:30 a.m. Tuesday, January 2nd, at the church, with Masonic Rites conducted by Capitol City Lodge No. 9, Free & Accepted Masons, at 11:30 a.m.
Memorials are suggested to Second Baptist Church, 501 Monroe Street, Jefferson City, MO 65101.
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My heartfelt condolences go out to the family of Uncle Alex. May God give you comfort and peace knowing that God will accept him with open arms for all the good work he has done while on earth.
Praying for you all as we lay Uncle Alex to rest. He always had 2 things with him, his smile & his camera. He was always taking pictures, even when you didn’t want to be in one. He would say this is for the generations after us to know where they came from and to know who we are once we pass on. I love you Uncle Alex (RIH) and give my Gramma (Helen Bell) a huge hug for me I miss her so!
Condolences to the Bell Family from Grove Church Congergational Care Ministry Group 1 Portsmouth VA Pastor Marriner Senior Pastor
Dear Bell Family, Please accept our sincere sympathy and prayers. May God bless you and keep you in His care. Among many things that I remember about Mr. Bell, is as my Scoutmaster Troop 15; many guiding principles evolved from this experience. Be blessed!
To the Bell Family…Sincere condolences from the Havelock Community Missionary Baptist Church family, Havelock NC as we pray that you have peace and comfort during this time. Dwayne M. Shy, Sr., Pastor
The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell there in.(Ps.24:1), one of Uncle Alex’s favorite scriptures. He would always quote that at re-unions. He was our patriarch, our example, and our historian.We love him and will miss him. Brenda Benton
Our condolences to the Bell Family from the Cox Family at Grove Church, Ports, VA (Jeanette, Wilma, Tiffany, Derrick, Nikos, Mrs. Captoria Mason & family.) May God give your family comfort and peace during this time. We apologize for the lateness of this message, but know that we are praying for you all. Blessing to you all!
“The Leaf”
A gentle breeze shook a leaf from the tree…… No one noticed… just you and me. The leaf danced …. It swayed… a child again, And as the breeze so gently, lifted it away, It paused for a moment as if wondering…. “Should I stay?” But continued its journey anyway.
The leaf floated higher and higher toward the Light in the sky And when I saw the clouds open, I thought I heard familiar voices from the same old tree… Or was that the sound of angelic wings?
It doesn’t matter so much that the breeze took the leaf away, Only that, that part of our tree was taken Gone “Home” to stay. Our family will miss that part of our tree, But, our family “back home” is rejoicing I know, Because our loved one has “come home” to stay.
A child again……. No suffering, no sadness, no more pain nor hurt, He’s gone home to the Father, gone away from this earth.
So every time you hear or feel a slight breeze, Or see the movement of the leaves….. Remember….. The leaves that have gone “Home” to our Heavenly family tree.
LaVerne Arther, copyright @ Life Poem
“The Leaf”
A gentle breeze shook a leaf from the tree…… No one noticed… just you and me. The leaf danced …. It swayed… a child again, And as the breeze so gently, lifted it away, It paused for a moment as if wondering…. “Should I stay?” But continued its journey anyway.
The leaf floated higher and higher toward the Light in the sky And when I saw the clouds open, I thought I heard familiar voices from the same old tree… Or was that the sound of angelic wings?
It doesn’t matter so much that the breeze took the leaf away, Only that, that part of our tree was taken Gone “Home” to stay. Our family will miss that part of our tree, But, our family “back home” is rejoicing I know, Because our loved one has “come home” to stay.
A child again……. No suffering, no sadness, no more pain nor hurt, He’s gone home to the Father, gone away from this earth.
So every time you hear or feel a slight breeze, Or see the movement of the leaves….. Remember….. The leaves that have gone “Home” to our Heavenly family tree.
LaVerne Arther, copyright @ Life Poem