Thelma Ruth (Williams) Bell

Thelma Williams Bell, daughter of the late General Williams, Sr. and Marietta Wilson Williams, was born in Pulaski, Georgia on July 10, 1925. God called Thelma into his loving arms on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 after a short stay at Winchester Gardens, an assisted living facility in Maplewood, New Jersey.

Thelma attended Candler County Training Elementary and High Schools in Metter, Georgia. She then went on to attend Savannah State University. After leaving Savannah State, Thelma came to New Jersey to live where she later married Benjamin Bell.

Thelma began working for Engelhard Industries in 1947 as a quality inspector. Her tenure with Engelhard lasted 27 years. She retired in 1974 and was able to care for her sister, Loree Williams, until she passed.

Thelma was an avid gardener, after purchasing her home in the Weequahic section of Newark in 1966, Thelma would come home from work during the Spring and work in her garden, cutting grass and hedges and caring for her flowers. During the winter months her den was filled with plants and this was her lifeline! She always said “I have to have my plants!”

Thelma was a dedicated member of Blessed Sacrament - St. Charles Borromeo for over 50 years. She enjoyed attending church and was a member of the Rosary Altar Society. She received acknowledgment from St. Charles for never missing a Sunday service for an entire year.

Thelma loved to read, there was always a book nearby. She would order different study versions of the Bible along with various religious materials and magazines. In our home, the television was always on The Word Network. Thelma also enjoyed the older westerns on TV such as Bonanza, Gunsmoke and Rifleman to name a few. She was a lover of music as well. Thelma delighted in all genres of music.

Thelma was preceded in death by her fiver siblings: Loree, Mae Evelyn, Ira, General, Jr., and Joseph P. Williams. 

Thelma leaves to embrace her most precious memories: her children, Gardenia Bell Doggett; Stanley B. Bell and Tracey Bell; Grandchildren: Iyonda Bell, Genovis Baker (Asa), Ray Shawn Handsom and Monique Handsom. She has three great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren, a nephew Joseph Williams, Jr. and niece Iris Lewis, also loved by a host of beloved relatives and friends. 

 

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