Obituary: Georgia Wahlin Bello

Georgia Wahlin Bello

1924 ~ 2007

Georgia Wahlin Bello, died Monday, November 5, 2007 at her home in Salt Lake City. "Geo" was born February 13, 1924 in Los Angeles, California to her adopted parents, Erick Waldemar Wahlin and Mattie Ellen Argust Wahlin. She graduated from Cyprus High School and attended Marin Junior College and then Utah State University where she affiliated with the Alpha Chi Omega Sorority. It was in Logan, Utah where she dated her friend Clair Louis Bello. They married in the Salt Lake Temple November 16, 1942.

Georgia is best known for having composed the words and music of the beloved children's song, "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree." She was proud to have bestowed all royalties from the song to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and would say "I've been amply paid in smiles."

She ran the sheet music department of Summerhays Music Company for 30 years and became acquainted with most every musical group, conductor and performer in Utah.

She was an accomplished pianist and vocalist but among the family was most widely acclaimed for her talents as a pie chef--no one could make a perfectly flaky pie crust like Georgia.

She is survived by her husband of 65 years, Clair Bello, her sons Kenneth, Salt Lake City, Lynn (Joanne), Salt Lake City, David (Sue), Boise, Idaho, her daughter Joanne Foster (Kenneth), Salt Lake City and her daughter-in-law, Darlene Bello, Salt Lake City, her sisters, Ann Norberg, Romaine Zito, her brother, Clive Wahlin. She was preceded in death by her oldest son, Clair Louis Bello, Jr., sister, Ellen Newbold and brother, Bus Wahlin. She has 15 grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held Friday, November 9, 2007 at noon in the Foothill 7th Ward (2215 E. Roosevelt Ave.) Friends may call Thursday at Russon Brothers Mortuary (255 South 200 East) from 6:30-8:00 p.m. and Friday at the Ward from 10:30-11:30 a.m. prior to the service. Interment, Salt Lake City Cemetery. Online guestbook at www.russonmortuary.com