Edna Bell

Edna (Buie) (McGinnis) Bell, who lived in Center Valley, Pa, since 2004, was called by her Lord on March 14TH, 2018. She died peacefully and of natural causes while in the attentive care of the staff of Cedarbrook/Fountain Hill, where she resided these last 3 years. A very bright star, Edna was kind, loving and gracious to the end. She was the wife of C.C. (Bunk) Bell , with whom she shared 40 years of love and partnership. Bunk died in 1981. Born in Fayetteville, NC, she was the daughter of Bobolink and Reba Buie. Upon Reba’s death, Edna and her only sibling, Nanette Adamo were adopted by their maternal grandparents, Mack and Minnie McGinnis. Upon graduation from Fayetteville High School, Edna and her cousin, Nina, were fashion models in New York. Returning to N.C. after the war, Edna met and married Bunk. They made their home and began their family in Clinton, later moving to Wallace and eventually to Wilmington NC. Edna was very active in her church and her community throughout her life. She served as President of both the Junior Garden Club and then the Garden Club of Clinton, taught Sunday school and served many roles at her church, St Paul’s Episcopal in Clinton and later, Grace Episcopal in Allentown, and took a very active part in the Community Theatres of Clinton, Wallace and Wilmington. She also proudly served as a Den Mother for the Scouts, baked thousands of cookies for the school functions of her children and chaperoned dozens of class trips. In Wallace, Edna organized, produced and starred in yearly and very successful fund-raisers for the American Heart Association. She was a regular performer, in Wilmington, with the Straw Hat Summer Theatre. She was never happier than when she was either working in her beautiful gardens or performing with one of her theatre groups. She was a published poet, a gourmet cook and an avid reader. On her 90th birthday, in 2015, she was honored in and by the Senate of Pennsylvania with a proclamation to her outstanding accomplishments and upstanding citizenship. Edna is predeceased by her parents, her husband, Bunk and her only sibling, Nanette as well as her first child, Susie Bell. She is survived by her other three children, Janet Cottle and her husband Jack, of Greenville, SC, Neal Bell and his husband, Gary Jones of Bethlehem, Pa and Richard Bell and his wife Deborah of Nashville, TN, and by her adored and adoring three grandchildren, Lisa Moran, Kemp Cottle and Julia Bell and four Great-grandchildren, Ella and Madison Moran and Jason and Haley Cottle. In lieu of flowers, the family requests you make a donation in her memory to Cedarbrook/Fountain Hill Auxiliary, 724 Delaware Avenue, Fountain Hill, PA 18015.