Jeanine White Shurtleff Bell

Jeanine White Shurtleff Bell passed away of causes incident to old age on December 19, 2023, at the age of 93.  She was born October 24, 1930, in Pocatello, Idaho, to Warren Agren Shurtleff and Minnie Agnes White. She was the eldest of three children, waiting nine years for her sister and fifteen years for her brother. She was raised in Cheyenne, Wyoming where she met her sweetheart, Charles William Bell. They were both involved with choirs and drama at Cheyenne High School. She attended Brigham Young University for two years and was on the Cougarette drill team in its second year of existence.  She married Charles on September 14, 1951, in the Salt Lake temple. Their residences included Laramie, Wyoming, Seattle and Pullman, Washington, San Antonio, Texas, San Jose, California, and West Valley City, Taylorsville, Sandy, and Orem in Utah.  

Jeanine was a stay-at-home Mom, raising her six children, and supporting her husband in his academic career.  Most of her child-rearing years were in San Jose, California.  She also worked as a market researcher. She and Charles sang with community choirs, including Santa Clara Chorale. Upon retirement they relocated to Utah to be closer to family. They loved singing together in choirs such as the Jay Welsh Chorale, Sterling Singers, Chorale Arts Society of Utah, and the Wasatch Chorale.

Jeanine served faithfully in church assignments including working with women, children and youth. For many years she was a Girls Camp director, young women’s sports director, and organized many roadshows and stake dances. 

She served several missions for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the FamilySearch Library where her specialty was Tongan language extraction, She and Charles also served in the Florida Tallahassee Mission.  For the past eight years she was a senior-living resident of TREEO, in Orem, making countless friends and found great joy fellowshipping with them. 

Jeanine was smart, funny, talented, and made friends easily.  She was dearly loved by grandchildren and great-grandchildren, taking part as she could in their lives, connecting via Facebook and MarcoPolo.  She was an amazing life cheerleader, doing all she could to encourage participation in various activities and life pursuits.  She always had kind words to those around her. Jeanine was loved and appreciated by many for her kind smile, positive attitude and Christ-like service. 

Jeanine was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and her sister-in-law Rosezella Jewkes Shurtleff. Survivors include 4 daughters and 2 sons: Annalisa (Scott) Ellsworth, Laurie (Matthew) King, Melinda (Curtis) Thompson, Matthew (Rhoda) Bell, Bonnie (Michael) Anderson, Mark (Kathryn) Bell; her sister Janice (Reiner) Lassig, and brother Neil Shurtleff.