Margery Jean Howe Bell

Margery Jean Howe Bell, 71, died peacefully, surrounded by her family, at McKay-Dee Hospital in South Ogden, Utah on July 20, 2017. 

Margery was born to Richard and Jean Howe, on June 8, 1946 in Wellsboro, Tioga County, Pennsylvania. She was lovingly raised in the small towns of Ulysses and Mansfield. After graduating from Mansfield High School, Marge received a degree in Nursing from the Bellevue School of Nursing in NYC. She met her lifelong sweetheart when she was just a baby, but did not realize it until after her first year at Bellevue. After many motorcycle rides together, she married Enoch on July 23, 1966. She often said that they decided to get married, just so their parents would let them go camping together.

After marriage, Enoch and Marge, moved to Syracuse, NY into student housing at Syracuse University where Enoch finished his degrees. Marge worked nights in Pediatric Intensive Care. The next several years took them to Blacksburg, VA, Portland, OR, Missoula, MT, and Springfield, VA. Finally, they struck gold in a move to sunny and beautiful Moraga, CA in 1983. 

Throughout her life, Marge’s love of Family History work deepened. She served as the director of The Annandale Virginia Genealogy Library, and Deputy Director at the Oakland Family Search Library. She organized, cataloged, and indexed, while also teaching classes, giving seminars, and lighting fires under any leaders she didn’t think were hopping fast enough or high enough. Marge also found time to raise two stunningly amazing children, while keeping her loving husband blissfully happy, and serving in various positions in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Marge loved her dear friends, loved craft projects (especially starting new ones) and she loved gathering with her sisters each year to quilt, sew, and laugh deeply. Marge loved life, and fought for years to enjoy each possible day of it.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Richard and Jean Howe; and is survived by her lifelong friend and husband, Enoch F. Bell, her two children, Jonathan, and Catherine, and her eight, beloved grand-children: Braden, Jordan, Keegan, Paxton, Anne, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Ella. She is also survived by her three dear sisters and cohorts in quilting: Joanne Horne, Carolyn Barrett, and Laurie Corbett.

Services will be held in Moraga, CA at the LDS Chapel at 3776 Via Granada on Aug. 12 at 11:00 am.

In lieu of flowers, please consider a contribution to the Oakland California FamilySearch Library, c/o Ralph Severson. 4766 Lincoln Avenue, Oakland, CA 94602