by Karen Yvonne Hamilton, 2024
Rosa Maria (Rosemary) ‘Meme’ BELLO was born on December 11, 1947, in Key West, Florida, to Jose Evelio Garcia BELLO (1917-2009) and Clara Belle LARIZ (1917-1965).
Rosemary was the youngest of four girls: Jane Ann GARCIA Rowland, Josephine GARCIA Simmons, and Delores Matilda GARCIA Middleton.
Rosemary went by the name Mary, Rosa Maria, and Rosemary depending on who she was dealing with. She was the only Garcia sister to be given the name BELLO on her birth certificate. Her nieces and nephew called her Meme.
Her sisters recall that at the time Rosemary was born, her parents were separated and her father had moved out. She was born at the hospital in Key West, and soon afterwards, her mother, Clara Belle suffered a breakdown, and Rosemary and her sisters were sent to live with their uncle, Bubby and his wife, Mable. They remained with them for almost four years.
In 1950, Rosemary lived at 1207 Catherine St in Key West with her uncle Andrew (Bubby) LARIZ and aunt, Mabel SYFRETT Lariz along with her siblings Jane, Josephine, and Delores and her cousin, Clara Adella LARIZ. Also living with them was Ada CANIZARES.
She married Larry BANKS in South Carolina and they had three sons: Larry Gene, Joseph, and Patrick.
Rosemary had an extraordinarily beautiful singing voice. Family stories say that she was once asked to sing with the band ‘Alabama’ just as they were becoming popular. Her shyness prevented her from doing so though.
She had several occupations throughout her life, most notably as a welder.
Rosemary suffered from Lupus for many years before she died on March 4, 2004, in Greenville, South Carolina, at the age of 56, and was buried there.
SOURCES: Personally known, Ancestry.com, United States Federal Census Records
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