Emily Bell Schoenhofen

Emily Bell Schoenhofen (nee Lucy Bell) of Lake Wales passed away on Wednesday, January 6, 2010. Her son, Leo was at her bedside and described her transition as "sweet and gentle."

Emily was born August 20,1916 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She was the only child of the late Edgar Thompson and Alice Williams Bell. She attended Scripps College in Claremont, California and the University of Wisconsin, Madison where she studied Literature and Creative Writing. She combined her love of books and writing by becoming the Book Reviewer for the Daily Oklahoman. She actually received letters from some of the authors whose books she reviewed thanking her for her insight into their work.

Emily married Leo H. Schoenhofen, Jr. in June of 1940. They raised their family in Barrington Hills, Il. Emily volunteered in local charities and became a board member of Children's Memorial Hospital, Chicago Botanical Gardens, the Lyric Opera, and Garden Club of America.

Emily and her husband first came to Lake Wales in 1965. Emily was a beloved member of the Church of the Good Shepherd and the hostess of the Bible Study Classes. She volunteered as the Children's Librarian of Mountain Lake. Her gentle nature and easy laughter made her both a treasured and trusted friend in the community.

Emily is predeceased by her husband Leo (1985) and her son, Andrew Burns Schoenhofen (1987). She is survived by daughter Ann Bell Planck and her children, Sarah and Chris Barnes and Stefanie and Ben Lausten; son Leo H. Schoenhofen III and his wife Amy and children, Emily and Chester Sharp and Leo and Anne Schoenhofen. Emily was blessed with four great-grandsons: Grant (9), Pierce (3), and Isaac Schoenhofen (6mths) and Henrik Alexander Sharp (6mths).

Memorial services for her family, friends, and community will be scheduled in Lake Wales at a later date followed by a private burial service in Pennsylvania.