Robert D. Sell

Interment in the Silver City Cemetery. Robert Dale Sell, the youngest of five children of Walter Edward Sell and Charlottie Malinda (Kennedy) Sell, was born on October 22, 1922 in Council Bluffs, Iowa. He grew up northwest of Malvern and attended Pleasant Grove country school, near their home. Bob began his farming career by helping his father on the family farm. He later rented farm land for himself from the Gregory family in the same neighborhood. Bob and Francena Marie Wilson of Council Bluffs, Iowa, were married on Valentine's Day, February 14, 1948, at the First Congregational Church in Council Bluffs. They continued living on the Gregory farm until Bob met his goal of farm ownership by purchasing the Wesley Chapel Stock Farm at rural Hastings, Iowa on September 15, 1961. They moved to the farm on February 24, 1963 where they continued to live. Bob retired from farming and sold his equipment on January 19, 1985. Bob was a member of the Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church and the Mills County Farm Bureau. Both Bob and Francena were members of the Henderson Grand Squares dancing club and attended many dances and gatherings over the years. Alt...[more]

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gh Bob and Francena did not have children of their own, their lives were full with family warmth and love of nieces and nephews, who kept them quite busy with holiday occasions and family events. Bob enjoyed the outdoors and hunting, but if there was a fish to be caught, regardless of the time of the year, he was out there with fishing pole in hand. Each spring, Bob walked the timbers and fields, looking for those elusive morel mushrooms and he was also known to have played a few card games of pitch. Bob and Francena had been married 59 years when Bob died at the Jennie Edmundson Hospital in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 4, 2007, at the age of 84 years, 10 months, and 12 days. Bob was preceded in death by his parents; brothers Roy Nelson Sell, who died at age four, Raymond Delbert Sell and wife Ann, and Charles Edward Sell and wife Mildred; sister Elizabeth Lou "Sis" (Sell) Hardy and husband Verlin; and niece Kathy Bowling. Bob is survived by his wife Francena Sell of rural Hastings, IA; nephews Marlin Sell and wife Marlene of Glenwood, Iowa, Roy Bowling of Golden, Colorado, Harold Hardy and wife Paulette of Sheridan, Montana, Robert Sell and Donald Sell of Arizona; many grandnieces and grandnephews; other relatives and friends.