Retus Donald
BELL
(b.
5 April 1921
,
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
d.
29 May 1998
,
Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
)
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BELL Family Tree – Connecting the Past to the Present!
Retus Donald BELL was born 5 April 1921 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
Retus Donald BELL was the child of Retus Leon BELL and Pearl Leana HERMANSpouse(s)/Partner(s) and Child(ren):
Retus Donald married Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN 24 March 1940 in Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA . The couple had (at least) 1 child.
Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN was born 12 July 1921 in Spring Valley, Pierce, Wisconsin, USA. Geraldine Lorraine died 4 July 1966 in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA. Geraldine Lorraine was the child of Edward Charles WINGEN and Margaret Winifred CONWAY.
Retus Donald BELL died 29 May 1998 in Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA.
Details of the family tree of Retus appear below.
Family and Children of Retus Donald BELL
[Hide/Show]Retus Donald BELL married 
Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN-- Date: 24 March 1940 Place: Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN was the child of Edward Charles WINGEN and Margaret Winifred CONWAY
Children of Retus Donald BELL and Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN:
Robert Edward BELL (b.23 December 1946, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA d. 30 September 2021, , Florida, USA)
Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN-- Date: 24 March 1940 Place: Blue Earth, Minnesota, USAGeraldine Lorraine WINGEN was the child of Edward Charles WINGEN and Margaret Winifred CONWAY
Children of Retus Donald BELL and Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN:
Robert Edward BELL (b.23 December 1946, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA d. 30 September 2021, , Florida, USA)
Share the History, Life Events, and Stories of Retus Donald BELL(Add details like birth, baptism, census records, military service, obituary, personal achievements, and more.)
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Discovering the Ancestry of Retus Donald BELL: Events, Photos & Historical Records
1921 Birth 5 April 1921
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA
1929 - October 29 - Black Tuesday - Stock market crash - The Great Depression Begins - It lasted until 1941 (WW2)
1934 - The metal beverage can is invented (American Can Co., United States)1935 - August 14 – United States President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Act into law
1940 Marriage / PartnerRetus Donald BELL and Geraldine Lorraine WINGEN 24 March 1940, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
He was 18 years old.
1940 - April - 1st electron microscope demonstrated (RCA), Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA The microwave oven was invented accidentally in 1945 by Percy Spencer, a Raytheon engineer. While testing a magnetron, he noticed microwaves melted a candy bar in his pocket. Experimenting further, he discovered microwaves could cook food quickly. Raytheon patented the process, and by 1947, they built the first commercial microwave oven, called the 'Radarange.' Initially used in commercial settings, microwaves becomes affordable for home use by the 1960s and 1970s, revolutionizing cooking.1946 Birth of ChildRobert Edward BELL was born 23 December 1946, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
Retus Donald was 25 years old.
1962 - The Cuban Missile Crisis was a tense 13-day standoff in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over the installation of Soviet nuclear missiles in Cuba, just 90 miles from the U.S. coast. The crisis is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. It began when American spy planes discovered the missiles, leading to a U.S. naval blockade of Cuba and intense negotiations. The crisis ended when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev agreed to remove the missiles in exchange for the U.S. promising not to invade Cuba and secretly agreeing to remove American missiles from Turkey.1963 - I Have a Dream Speech - Martin Luther King's Address at March on Washington August 28, 1963.
1966 Death of Spouse/PartnerGeraldine Lorraine WINGEN died 4 July 1966, Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
June 17, 1972 – August 9, 1974 - Watergate Scandal began with the break-in at the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., in 1972. Members of President Richard Nixon's administration attempted to cover up their involvement. The scandal led to the discovery of multiple abuses of power by the Nixon administration, the resignation of President Nixon in 1974, and the indictment of several administration officials.1973 - January 22 - Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 and Doe v. Bolton, 410 U.S. 179: The U.S. Supreme Court declares that the Constitution protects women’s right to terminate an early pregnancy, thus making abortion legal in the U.S.1973 - March 29 - The last United States soldier leaves Vietnam The cell phone was invented by Martin Cooper of Motorola. On April 3, 1973, he made the first handheld mobile phone call with the Motorola DynaTAC. This device weighed 2.5 pounds and was 10 inches long, offering 30 minutes of talk time and requiring 10 hours to charge. The first commercial cell phone was released in 1983, revolutionizing communication and leading to the modern smartphones we use today.
1974 - Gerald R. Ford becomes President of the United States after the resignation of Richard Nixon.1981 - June 5 - First reported case of AIDS (Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome)1986 - January 28 - Space Shuttle Challenger accident - The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster occurred on January 28, 1986, when the shuttle broke apart 73 seconds into its flight, leading to the deaths of its seven crew members. 1989 - The World Wide Web is invented at CERN (Tim Berners-Lee, UK)1998 Death 29 May 1998
Mankato, Blue Earth, Minnesota, USA
He died at the age of 77.
Added: 7/25/2025 1:46:16 PM
- Updated: 8/13/2025 1:45:36 PM
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