Hilda Bell

Hilda O’Brien Bell, 102 years old, of Gainesville, Georgia passed away on
Saturday, June 20, 2026 in Gainesville, GA.

Visitation will be held at McDonald and Son Funeral Home in Cumming,
Ga on Wednesday June 24th, 2026 at 12noon until the time of funeral
service.

Funeral service will be held at the same location on June 24 at 2 pm.
Burial will follow at The Rogers Bell Cemetery in Johns Creek.

Hilda Frances Therese O’Brien Bell received a Degree in Nursing from St.
Francis School of Nursing in Hartford Connecticut. Upon graduation, she
joined the Naval Nurses Cadet Corp in 1943 when the USA hospitals were
on the verge of collapse with all the nurses joining the official military and
shipped overseas. The Nurses Cadet Corp was a nation wide training
program for 120,000 nurses to take the place of the war nurses here in the
US. She was one of two nurses chosen from Connecticut.

Hilda and her husband Reuben raised their family in Brookhaven/
Chamblee area and Our Lady Of The Assumption Church. Hilda worked
as a Registered Nurse (RN) in hospitals, doctors offices and teaching
nursing school throughout her career. She was involved in her daughters
and grandchildren’s lives as they grew. She sewed all her daughters
clothing early on. She loved her Life Enrichment activities and excelled at
Painting beautiful art and china and to carving the most amazing wooden
busts and other creations. She had a green thumb for all indoor house
plants.

After her beloved husband Reuben passed away in 2000, her life was kick
started when she moved to Lanier Village Estates for her retirement years.
Since 2001 she participated in all the activities she loved from Billiards, to
wood carving, to choir, to her memorable appearances in the Follies and
the talent and fashion shows. He favorite was the Halloween costume
contest. In 2025 Hilda was honored with a lifetime achievement award and
their Halloween award will forever be named for her. She loved her
caregivers and friends at Lanier Village.

Hilda is preceded in death by her husband of 54 years Reuben Allen Bell,
Atlanta GA; her parents, mother, Hilda Stickney O’Brien and father, Dr
Thomas F O’Brien MD of Connecticut. Hilda is survived by her daughters
Therese Ergle, Janet Kitchens, Cynthia Bell and Suzette Daniels their
spouses Bill Ergle, Walter Kitchens, Butch Evans (all in North Georgia.) She
has six grandchildren and six great grandchildren and many Married in
children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and the loved friends. She is
the matriarch of our family and the last of her generation in our family.

Condolences may be left in Hilda’s online guestbook at https://mcdonaldandson.com/obituaries/hilda-bell

The family wishes to extend their gratitude to Jerreta, Janice and Debbie,
Lanier Village Estates, Caritus Hospice and St Micheals Catholic Church,
Gainesville, GA.

She lived a full long life two months short of 103 years old and showed
grace and faith to all she met. We know that she is at the Banquet Table of
Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our Trust in Him says we will see her
again one day.