Belle married Birdie Godfrey when she was 21 years old but Birdie, a rancher, died 15 months later of cancer. After Birdie's death, Belle moved to Tyler to be with her family. She and her sisters got jobs at the telephone office. She met John Raney Bertrand at Calvary Baptist Church. They married in 1940 and Belle moved into the family house and lived there from 1940 until her death.
John worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad until he died in 1972; Belle worked for Mother Frances Hospital for 19 years. She and John were participating members of Calvary Baptist Church from the time they met in 1939 until she fell 4 1/2 years ago and began using a walker. Belle's caretaker during her last 4 1/2 years has been her son, Melvyn Bertrand and his friend Michael Thronton, a student at The University of Texas at Tyler.
Survivors include her son, John Melvyn Bertrand and wife Barbara; three grandchildren, Stephen Bertrand, Sarah Bertrand Tschoepe and Mishael Bertrand Berger. Her two great-grandchildren are Jordan Bertrand and Savannah Tschoepe.
Published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on 6/16/2007.
Belle married Birdie Godfrey when she was 21 years old but Birdie, a rancher, died 15 months later of cancer. After Birdie's death, Belle moved to Tyler to be with her family. She and her sisters got jobs at the telephone office. She met John Raney Bertrand at Calvary Baptist Church. They married in 1940 and Belle moved into the family house and lived there from 1940 until her death.
John worked for the Cotton Belt Railroad until he died in 1972; Belle worked for Mother Frances Hospital for 19 years. She and John were participating members of Calvary Baptist Church from the time they met in 1939 until she fell 4 1/2 years ago and began using a walker. Belle's caretaker during her last 4 1/2 years has been her son, Melvyn Bertrand and his friend Michael Thronton, a student at The University of Texas at Tyler.
Survivors include her son, John Melvyn Bertrand and wife Barbara; three grandchildren, Stephen Bertrand, Sarah Bertrand Tschoepe and Mishael Bertrand Berger. Her two great-grandchildren are Jordan Bertrand and Savannah Tschoepe.
Published in the Tyler Morning Telegraph on 6/16/2007.
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