Bess Gellman Smith

Madison - Bess Gellman Smith, 101 years old, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at Sterling House in Madison, Wisconsin. Bess was born April 26, 1907 in Zhitomer, Russia, the daughter of Eli Gellman and Meta (Belman) Gellman.
Bess immigrated in 1909 with her family to Davenport, Iowa where she attended Lincoln School & J.B. Young Intermediate. In the early 1920's she worked as a secretary with Gellman Manufacturing Company. She then lived and worked in Chicago for a few years. In the later 1920's Bess trained with acting coach Icey Teal Harling in the Quad Cities. She performed dramatic readings, as well as broadcasts from WOC Radio and the Palmer School of Chiropractic. In October 1935, Bess met the love of her life, Maurice Benjamin Smith of Springfield, Illinois. They were married in Davenport on December 25, 1935. They lived in Springfield, Illinois and then moved to Mendota, Illinois to become owners of a restaurant and news agency. In 1940 they moved to Pekin, Illinois, which was to become their new ""home town."" They owned and operated a business and store in downtown Pekin known as ""Maurie's"", ""The Karmelkorn"" and ""The Pekin News Agency."" Bess and Maurie often worked side-by-side establishing their business and raising their children. Bess never drove a car, but she liked to walk to Pekin Park and to ""The Store."" After Maurie's death in 1991 Bess remained in Pekin until 1999 when she moved to Madison, Wisconsin. She lived at Coventry Apartments until 2006 when she moved to Brookdale Sterling House. Over the years she stayed in touch with her Pekin friends and neighbors and always enjoyed reminiscing about her life in Davenport and her long marriage.
She is survived by two daughters whom she dearly loved, Meta (Smith) Mazur and Cherie (Smith) Mandel Diamond (Ron), and four cherished grandsons, Aaron Mandel, Saul Mandel, Natan Mandel, and Michael Mazur. She is further survived by her dear nephew Jack Gellman (Rayna), her niece Rhoda Wertheimer, her nephew Eddie Gellman and her niece Meta Jacoby, and many great nieces and nephews. Bess often said that her greatest joy in life was having a family. She provided pleasure and inspiration to the people who met her. She was always interested in hearing their life stories and telling them hers. She was a member of Beth Israel Center in Madison, WI and Agudas Achim in Peoria, IL. The family wishes to thank the dedicated hospice staff and Jewish Social Services, and especially everyone at Sterling House for their kind and loving care. Her family also expresses a special note of gratitude for the love Bess always shared with them right to the very end of her long and well-lived life. Donations may be made to Hospice of Dane County, Wisconsin, and Jewish Social Services of Madison. The funeral will be at BETH ISRAEL CENTER, 1406 Mound St, Madison, on Thursday, February 26 at 9:30 a.m. Bess will be laid to rest beside her husband Maurie in Peoria Hebrew Cemetery in Peoria, Illinois on Thursday February 26th, at 3:30 p.m. Funeral arrangements by Cress Funeral Home, Madison,WI.