Mary Ellen Bell

Mary Ellen Bell, 80, of Marion Center, formerly of North Washington, Pa., passed away Tuesday morning, following a recent diagnosis of colon cancer. She passed quietly at VNA Hospice in Butler with her family at her bedside.

Born June 28, 1937, in Butler, she was the daughter of the late Richard and Helen Dobson Caldwell. Mary Ellen grew up in Parker, where she reigned as May queen and worked hard at the local drugstore throughout high school.

After high school, she worked in secretarial roles, retiring from Marion Center National Bank in July 2000.

Mary Ellen enjoyed drawing, singing in her local church choir and was a member of the ladies' card club in North Washington for several years. As a member of the North Washington VFD Ladies Auxiliary, she supported her community and events.

She loved spending time with her family, which included many vacations and summer weeks at the river with her sisters and extended family. She and her sisters could often be seen at family functions performing the “YMCA,” to the amusement of everyone there!

Mary Ellen was famous for her peanut butter fudge and was known by her family, friends and co-workers as a fun-loving and laid-back lady. Her daughters always encouraged her to try out for Jeopardy, as she was a fountain of knowledge on trivia. Mary Ellen loved playing bingo and watching all sports in her later years. She frequently won the local basketball pool.

Known to her family and friends as “Mare,” she is survived by her daughters, Kathleen (Tim) Bell of Millbury, Ohio; Kim (Don) Carothers of Butler; and Robyn (Steven) Bell of Palm Harbor, Fla.

Also surviving are her siblings, Tom (Kay) Caldwell of Parker and Alda (Bob) Young of Marion Center; her sister-in-law, Judy Caldwell of Antioch, Tenn.; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and great-great-nieces.

In addition to her mother and father, she was preceded in death by her brother, Lou Caldwell; her sister, Judy Ball; her brother-in-law, John Ball; and her stepfather, Squire Mills.

BELL — A gathering of friends for Mary Ellen Bell, who died Tuesday, July 4, 2017, will be held at 10 a.m. Aug. 5 at the Parker Methodist Church in Parker with a memorial service to follow at 11 a.m.Arrangements have been entrusted to the Buzard Funeral Home, Parker.In lieu of flowers, memorial donations in her honor may be made to: VNA Hospice, 154 Hindman Road, Butler, PA 16001, or North Washington Presbyterian Church, c/o Vi Stewart, P.O. Box 84, North Washington, PA 16048.To view/send condolences, sympathy cards, flowers visit www.buzardfunerahomes.com.