BELL, Mildred Iles Born May 13, 1920, Mildred Iles Bell was the first black baby to be born in a hospital in Dayton, Ohio. She was the daughter of William Iles, a real-estate salesmen, and Raybertha Iles, a homemaker. After attending Garfield Elementary School, Willard Elementary, and Dunbar High School, she graduated from Wilberforce College in 1942. While at Wilberforce she met Mr. Shelton Bell of Youngstown, OH, who became her husband of fifty seven years. A teacher by profession, Mildred taught for over thirty-three years in the Dayton Public school system at Wogaman Elementary and Miami Chapel Elementary. She was very active in church life at Trinity Presbyterian Church where she served as a faithful Deacon and sang in the choir. She was also a dedicated member of the Attomettes and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. In 1987, Mildred and Shelton decided to move to Decatur, Georgia in order to be closer to their only child, Karen, and granddaughter Tamaria. Always one to be active in her community, she joined Hillside Presbyterian Church, worked with the homeowners association at York Place Condominiums, participated in local social groups, and established her own daycare and after school program for neighborhood children. For the final years of her life, Mildred was surrounded by extending family and friends who loved and cared for her until her passing on October 31, 2007. Mildred was preceded in death by her husband, Shelton Bell, her brother Elwood Iles, her mother and father William and Raybertha Iles,and her granddaughter Chasity Davenport. As a friendly, outgoing person who remained dedicated to helping others, Mildred's legacy will live on through the many lives that she touched, including immediate and extended family, neighbors, and friends. Cremation Society of the SOUTH@Eagle's Landing 770-692-1181
Published in the Dayton Daily News on 11/3/2007.