Born on May 30, 1934, to Lodia and John H. Alexander of Berrien County, Georgia, she was the ninth of ten children, and a child of the Depression and war years. As a member of Omega High School’s first class to continue through the twelfth grade, she also played varsity basketball.
After graduating from high school, Edna began her career as a switchboard operator for Southern Bell in Tifton, Georgia. She moved to Atlanta in the mid-1950s and advanced to become Food Service Director. During her career, she witnessed the company’s evolution from Southern Bell to BellSouth and later to AT&T. After retiring, Edna remained active in the BellSouth Pioneers, traveling throughout the Southeast to visit parks and museums and attend plays. She also devoted herself to caring for her father-in-law, Herbert Schell, until his death.
Edna was an active member of St. Luke’s Church and enjoyed volunteering with the Telephone Pioneers. She also loved reading and spending time with her many relatives and friends.
In the spring of 1981, Edna married the love of her life, James “Jim” Schell. They shared 40 years together before his death in 2021. Edna was also preceded in death by her parents, her daughter Priscilla and eight siblings. She is survived by her sister, Bernice Harrell, her son, Scott and his wife Kathy; her grandchildren, Nicholas, Savannah (Ryan), Tyler and Chelsea (Scott); her great-grandchildren, Brighton and Callum; and numerous nieces and nephews, whom she loved as her own children.
Visitation will be held at Eternal Hills Funeral Home in Snellville, Georgia, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 22, 2026. Following a private family viewing and burial service, a Celebration of Life will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2026, at St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody, Georgia. In lieu of flowers, the family invites donations in Edna’s memory to the Alzheimer’s Association, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, or St. Luke’s Presbyterian Church.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at
www.eternalhillsfuneralhome.com on Edna Schell’s page.
