Catherine “Kay” Bell just turned 90 and thinks it’s great. She celebrated in her favorite place-the Aroostook Historical and Art Museum-with many relatives, friends and co-workers.
Bell was born in Houlton the second oldest of seven children. She attended St. Mary’s Parochial School until her family moved to the Lake Road in Monticello.
Bell’s father, Frank Brown worked in the woods and after saving enough money bought a farm and became a potato farmer. The entire family helped with the growing of potatoes and to this day Bell yearns for those days of living and working on the farm. She loves the sights and sounds of the farm and the smell of the ‘dirt’.
Bell went to the Monticello High School for two years and finished her high school years in Houlton graduating in 1937. Bell played basketball as a teenager and loved sports.
After high school Bell took a job in Scarsdale, New York as a nanny. Since the country was in the throes of the Great Depression, money was tight and this was a good way to make some money. Bell wanted to attend the Normal School in Presque Isle, but after seeing an ad in the newspaper for the nanny position she made her way to New York. She took care of two children who had lost their mother. She traveled with the family spending one year and came home. The family hired a replacement, but it wasn’t long when Bell was contacted saying the children weren’t happy with their new nanny and Bell returned spending three more years with them. Bell said that she had a lot of responsibility, taking the children to music lessons, buying their clothes, making their meals and doing everything a mother would do.
Returning to Monticello she met and married Horace ‘Sonny’ Bell in 1942. Bell’s family had property in Mars Hill, so the newlyweds made Mars Hill their home. During World War II the Bells were one of the many families that welcomed the farm help from the German Prisoners of War housed at the Houlton Airport.
After the war, the Bells moved to Monticello to Kay’s parents’ farm. Their family had grown by three children, Virginia, Beverly and Brian and a fourth child, Frank was born soon after their move. Bell’s husband took a job in Houlton at the Maine Liquor Store and became active in the Maine State Employees Association.
Bell said, “Back then it was wonderful to get a job that had benefits. With four children we needed health benefits.”
As her husband advanced his career he moved to Rangeley to work, leaving the family in Houlton.
“The kids were in school and it was easier for us to stay right here,” said Bell. “I would pack the car once a month and we would make the drive to Rangeley for the weekend. They knew all the places to stop and one of the favorites was an ice-cream bar,” she added.
Bell was not idle when her husband was away, she had taken a job in the offices of O’Donnell’s Express, a busy trucking company in town. She stayed with O’Donnell’s five years and then applied for an office position with the United States Border Patrol. Bell said that she had been enrolled in the college course in high school, but had switched to commercial courses, knowing that money was not available to pursue college at that time. Bell had taken a course in dictation in high school and feels that particular course helped her get the job.
Bell moved from being a secretary into the office of radio operator in the early 1970s and then became the supervisor of communications and equipment operator.
“It was an exciting job. I talked to people all over the world,” she said.
Bell’s life was busy, keeping up with four children and keeping everything running smoothly while her husband worked away. However, Bell still had the passion to go to college. In the mid-1960s she began taking a college course whenever she could fit one in.
Bell’s husband had returned to Houlton to manage the Maine State Liquor Store here and then opened Sonny’s Variety on the Monticello-Littleton town line. Sadly her husband passed away in 1972 at the young age of 51. Three of their children had graduated from college and the youngest was a college student. So Bell was fortunate to be employed and somewhat used to handling many of the day-to-day responsibilities of a single parent.
Beginning in 1980 she followed her dream and traveled to the University of Maine in Presque Isle. She fit classes in as she could to obtain an associate degree in liberal studies, graduating with distinction in 1989, at the age of 69. Bell said she loved the classes, especially the writing courses.
She retired from the Border Patrol position in 1989 and because she had always been fascinated with history found herself drawn to the local historical society. Gradually her volunteer time became more full- time at the Aroostook Historical Society and her passion for safeguarding the artifacts grew as well. She said that she first started with small projects, and credits Bob Smith, a former Houlton High School teacher and historical museum president for breathing new life into the organization. Bell also said that local resident Barbara O’Donnell has been a great resource.
Bell was instrumental in the preservation of the airport site of the former German POW camp and the celebration honoring the former prisoners back to Houlton in 2003.
A highlight in her life came after that event. Bell and former residents Ann and Bud Reinlander traveled to Germany and were guests of Rudy Richter and Gerhardt Kleindt, two of the former prisoners that visited Houlton. They were given guided tours of the country and welcomed by Richter as guests in his home. To be in Germany was especially significant to Bell as she recalled memories of her younger brother, Lewis who was a soldier in World War II. He was shot down over the Baltic Sea, but his body was never recovered. Richter took her to the Baltic and it was so meaningful for her to actually be there and know that she could personally say good-bye.
When asked what her plans are for the next 10 years, Bell laughed and her eyes sparkled as she was caught rather off guard. She quickly regrouped, though and said, “I am looking forward to another busy summer at the museum. I love meeting the people, they are so interesting and they come from everywhere. I am always tracking down information on the unknowns at the museum and we are hoping to start a fund to raise money to have a Samantha Smith statue on display near the Cary Library.”
“I am just planning to keep on doing what I’m doing and hope to sneak away one summer day to pick some raspberries back on the farm,” she added.
