Luella Bedell

Luella Lea (Powell) Bedell was born in Republic County, Kansas August 7, 1923 to Harland and Martha Strait Powell. She was the second of five children born on the homestead farm. She attended school at the Republic County School until the 10th grade when the family moved from Kansas to a farm north of Steamboat Springs, Colorado on the Elk River. It was in Colorado that she met a young cowboy Charles Bedell at a community dance hall at Hahn’s Peak. They were married November 3, 1940 which was followed by a honeymoon trip with Charles’ parents to California to visit relatives. This marriage would endure for over 72 years, and produce three children. Luella had a very inquisitive mind and went on to achieve her high school diploma and graduated from Mesa College as a Practical Nurse with high honors. She sat on the Colorado State board that helped write the original regulations for Practical Nurses for the state of Colorado. She loved working delivery and care of newborn babies in the hospital and had a successful career as a nurse. Art was a natural talent and flourished in her life from hand coloring photographs (before the advent of color photography), painting, cake decorating and sewing arts. Mom taught us kids that values and hard work would bring success. We were always reminded to keep our standards high. She was very proud that all of her children attended college and her two boys, Dan and Ivan, graduated as engineers. Luella and Charles moved to Mena, Arkansas following their retirement where they lived for a number of years. Bountiful, Utah has been their home for the last ten years. Mom was active in community, county fairs, and church events. She really enjoyed sewing and contributing to Primary Children’s Hospital and the LDS Humanitarian Projects until her eyesight no longer allowed her to sew.
Luella is survived by her husband Charles E. Bedell, her sister Orba Mae Roper and her three children Dan Bedell (Mella) of Centerville, Utah, Jane Peebles (Garwood) of Pensacola, Florida, and Ivan Bedell (Leanne) of Erda, Utah. She was preceded in death by her parents, a brother (Vincent), two sisters (Alberta and Margaret) and one grandchild. Luella and Charles have 13 grandchildren, 34 great grand children, and 2 great great grandchildren.
Visitation will be from 10 -11am Saturday 2-16-2013 at the Russon Brothers Mortuary in Bountiful. A private family memorial will be held at 11am. Burial and grave dedication will be at the Bountiful Cemetery following the memorial service.
The family thanks the staff and management at the Heritage Place Care Center and the Life Care Center of Bountiful for their loving kindness during Mom’s latter years. Access Hospice care, in the final stages of her life, gave additional personal comfort and friendship to her. We thank those who helped her graduate from mortality with dignity and knowing that she was loved.