Ada Fae Bell

Ada Fae Cox Bell, 97, of Atwood, Kan., died Sept. 5, 2017, at the Rawlins County Health Center, Atwood.

Ada Fae’s family sometimes gave her a bit of a hard time being born on the “longest day of the year,” June 21. (She rarely took umbrage). The year was 1920; the location, a small white farmhouse near Atwood. She had a big brother, Marvin, to introduce her to their parents, Ray A. and M. Gertrude (Brown) Cox.

Their small family moved to a farm near Hill City, Kan. in 1921 and welcomed three more children, Mary Jo, JB and Dorothy. But a need to help Ray’s family brought them back to Rawlins County in 1928.

Real tragedy struck in 1930 when Gertie lost her husband to a road accident less than two weeks after her father passed away. Ada Fae was 10. These sad days were life-changing for the whole family. But they came together and faced the Depression Era future by moving into a small house in town. Nine people “made do” in what family now calls the Granny House. And, like the “Five Little Peppers,” the children grew as they watched their mother find ways to provide for her family. Gertie became Register of Deeds and took in borders once they moved to somewhat larger quarters.

Learning was always stressed. Ada Fae graduated from Atwood High School in 1938 and went to work at the ASC office. During these years, she was one of a group of friends who called themselves the “Jolly Jokers.” One of the group was her future husband Jarrold Dennis “Jerry” Bell. They married in 1942.

By then, of course, WWII was prevalent in everyone’s life and Ada Fae went with Jerry to Corvallis, Ore., for a time but returned to Atwood before their son Dennis was born in 1943. Jerry came back to  Atwood for good in 1945 when daughter Prudence arrived.

In 1947, the Bells began construction on their own home, built into the side of a hill with cinder blocks and hope. It was in this home that Ada Fae and Jerry spent the rest of their lives together. They added the second story in the early 1960’s.

A decade prior to that, in the early 1950’s, Jerry got the furniture store he always wanted. Ada Fae worked for a number of years in Myrt’s Shoppe, which was owned by her aunt. At some point the antique bug caught hold of Ada Fae, and she spent many happy hours, days and years haunting sales and shops; then cleaning, polishing, sanding and varnishing. She eventually joined forces with Beverly Higley and Marvel Lewis to open Beverly’s Antiques in Atwood. For years they went to antique shows all around the surrounding area; always returning home with a story to tell on one or the other. Ada Fae also established an antiques corner at Bell  Furniture, where she spent her working days after Jerry became a rural mail carrier.  She and her little dog, Dinah, (one of many) made a comfortable niche for themselves.

Ada Fae and Jerry loved to travel and made many car trips throughout the U.S. During the early years the backseat was full of kids. Later it became a repository for antique treasures collected on the way.

Active in church, community and bridge groups, as well as being an avid reader, Ada Fae always had time for family – generations of them. Nieces, nephews, grandkids, greats and great-greats were always welcome, but no one was allowed to call her grandma. It was always Ada Fae.

The time that all of these welcome intruders spent around the Bell house was time in which each could be artfully (or not so) creative. Each could be read to, run through sprinklers or snow drifts, go fishing at the lake, have a picnic, sing, make snow ice cream, “from scratch” lemonade or hot cocoa. On any given day any one could spend long hours at a farm sale, following Ada Fae around looking for treasures.

It was important to stay overnight, growing into Mason’s nightshirt, the girls’ yellow nightie or most especially the soft blue robe.

Ada Fae had a gift for making a house into a home. She was a good hostess and a creative one. But Christmas ruled her heart. She believed in  Santa Claus! And for decades the Christmas tree had a new theme every year – homemade ornaments providing another creative outlet for kids of all ages, and new memories.

This is her legacy.

And even though she was teased about being born on the longest day of the year, her family and friends are truely blessed to have had her here for 97 of those “longest days.”

Ada Fae is survived by her son Dennis and his wife, Adda, as well as her daughter Prudence, her “other daughter” Melinda and three granddaughters, their children and their children’s children. Her brother JB and many nieces and nephews remain to share memories.

Many others, including husband Jerry and grandson Mason are with her now.

Enjoy your memories of her. We all do.

And thank you to all who have remembered her with kind condolences and generous gifts.
In lieu of flowers, memorials are suggested to the Atwood Second Century Development Fund or the Atwood Public Library.