Kimsey Parker Bell

BELL, Kimsey Parker, of Wooster, OH, died December 15, 2008, at Hillandale Nursing Home in Hamilton, OH. Memorial services will be held at the United Methodist Church, N. Market St. in Wooster, at a future date. He was born March 20, 1920, in Leetonia, OH, and was the son of Blanche (Galbreath) and Ernest Bell. Kim graduated from Fairfield Centralized School. He was a veteran of WWII landing on D-Day and serving as a medic on the front lines in the European Theater. Kim received five stars for serving in five major battles and was one of the first soldiers to enter the Dachau Concentration Camp when the war ended. In later years he enjoyed visiting his grandchildren’s schools and relating his war experiences to the students. On March 10, 1946, Kim married Ruth Bachtel. They were married for 60 wonderful years and had three children. Kim spent his working days in the tractor and tractor equipment business. He was regional sales manager covering five branches for Massey Ferguson Tractor Company. He was transferred to Toronto, Canada, and was made Allied Equipment Manager for Canada and the USA. He retired from that position in 1965. From 1965 to 1975, he became co-owner and Marketing Vice President of a tractor cab business with four manufacturing plants supplying the USA and Canada. Due to his work Kim and Ruth lived in a number of different places including California, Ohio, Massachusetts, Michigan and Canada. They moved to Wooster in 1977 where he worked as a consultant for Orrville Products, the Empire Plow Company and the Steiner Tractor Company. They moved to West Chester in 2006 during a period of declining health to be near their daughter. Kim served on the Board of Directors of the Farm and Industrial Equipment Institute and as President of the Industrial and Construction Equipment Division, receiving the Distinguished Leader Award for his services. He was a long time member and Deacon of the United Methodist Church of Wooster, the New Horizons Sunday School Class and was a church trustee for six years. Rotary was a big part of Kim’s life and he was a member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The Salvation Army, Meals on Wheels and 4-H clubs benefitted from his volunteer activities. Kim is survived by his sons James (wife Tricia) of Wake Forest, NC, and Craig (wife Joan) of Los Angeles, CA, and daughter Karen Cottrell (husband Randy) of West Chester, OH. He has five grandchildren, Kyle and Kory Cottrell, Derek and Drew Bell and Lena Marie Bell, and one great granddaughter, Kaylee Cottrell. He was preceded in death by his parents, wife, three brothers and a sister. Memorials may be sent to Boys Village, PO.Box 518, Smithville, OH 44677; Hospice of Cincinnati, 4310 Cooper Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45242; or Crestview Presbyterian Church, 9463 Cincinnati-Columbus Rd., West Chester, OH 45069.