Mildred Russel Bell
Volunteer and Historian
by June Swords Bower

Mildred Bell, who recently turned 104, spent her life working hard, volunteering and taking care of others. Born in 1906 and raised in Pitman, NJ, Mildred engages you with a fascinating virtual ’slide show’ of historical Pitman that is vivid, educational and entertaining.

Mildred got to experience what so many Pitman residents are only able to see in old photographs; Alcyon Lake Park. It was built in the 1890’s and first consisted of a boardwalk, a bath house, bowling alleys, a toboggan ride, a merry-go-round, a roller rink, and a half-mile dirt racetrack. The renowned Pitman Theater and a restaurant were added in the early 1900’s.

In 1918 when she was about 12 years old, Mildred worked as a scooper in an ice cream shop on the boardwalk. Her brothers and cousins worked at the bowling alley clearing the lanes and resetting the pins. That was long before the automated bowling alleys of today. Even though it was hard work, Mildred says that she and her brothers had so much fun on that boardwalk.


She remembers what Pitman was like when it had its own blacksmith shop and railroad station. She used the train everyday to attend Glassboro High School because there was no high school in Pitman at that time. Mildred graduated in 1925 and the following year became the only secretary for the several grammar schools that Pitman did have.

Mildred tells of an interesting rule that the school system had for its employees.
As a stipulation of employment, all personnel had to be single. When you married, you had to leave. She worked there for several years and left when she married Ralph Bell and had a son and a daughter.

Most of Mildred’s life was dedicated to taking care of her immediate family and other people. She took care of her ailing parents and her mother-in-law. She said that she was always doing something for the single women that lived alone. This was in addition to volunteering her secretarial services to the Broadway Methodist Church in Camden.

During their marriage, Mildred, Ralph and his sister Jean and her husband, bought rental properties, worked hard fixing them up and had great summers together in Ocean City. They were very close and had so much fun together. Mildred and Ralph belonged the the Methodist Church and volunteered for their "Meals on Wheels" program.

After retirement, they built a home in Tamarac, Florida and immediately started looking for a Methodist church to join. Mildred found a minister who was using his garage as a church for his 11 parishioners. She and Ralph joined and she volunteered her secretarial services once again. She wrote letters to help build the congregation and to find another place to hold services. After a while, the numbers went up to 200 and a church was built.

Mildred Bell is wonderful example of a loving and giving spirit. Through her years of helping others, she says, "The Lord has always taken care of me in return."
And he certainly has.