Remembering Josephine "Jo" Schell

March 19, 1921 - March 14, 2008

This article is reprinted from Southern California Egg Artists, April 2008, Volume No. 285, Paula Ames, editor. Many of Jo's Eggs will be on display on tables honoring her at the Pacific Eggsperience 2008 show. Please be sure to stop by and see them. Jo Schell collection Pacificeggsperience 2008

I was sent the picture above just before Christmas of 2007. The date on the back says 10-24, but there seems to be some discrepancy as to the year, 2006 or 2007. It lists Jo as being 86 1/2 years old and Bill at 89 1/2 years old. They've been married for 67 1/2 years.

I remember years ago Jo used to tell us all that she served Bill his breakfast in bed every morning that they were married, except when she was in the hospital having babies. There were 4, I believe. She raised the children, baby sat her granchildren, and all the while working in the family drug store. Bill was the pharmacist and she ran the rest of the store. When she found time to work on eggs I will never know. I do believe by the time I met Bill and Jo, they were retired. I don't ever remember seeing Jo without Bill there to help her. I cannot count how many times she taught classes for our club. She also belonged to the California Tri-County Egg Artist club in Oxnard and taught classes for them, at shows, and even once in my home. One time she invited me to her house to see all her eggs. The cabinets covered all the walls in one room. Her decoupage was outstanding as was everything else.

In 1988, Jo became California's first Master egger. In 1996, Jo was the 2nd person in the history of the I. E. A. G (then NEAG) to receive the Masters certificate in 5 categories (Beaded and Jeweled, Diorama, Decoupage, Hand Painted, and Filigree), which gave her the honor of being a Master of Masters. Below is a copy of the picture from the International Egg Art Guild, July 1996 Issue #71, when she was presented her Master of Masters Certficate. From left to right are Shirly Rose, Western Representative for Masters Program; Jo; and Bee Dillard, Western Representative for Masters program and President of the I. E. A. G.

To the right in the picture below is of Jo's Master Egg in Diorama and her claim to fame, I think, and was named "The Hanging Gardens of Babylon". Several of us have imitations (taught by Jo), but none have achieved Jo's exquisite beauty. Jo's Hanging Gardens of Babylon with article, was in I. E. A. G. 1997 newsletter, issue #76. The picture was also presented on the front cover of I. E. A. G 1998 calendar. From left to right are Jo's Beaded and Jeweled, Filigree, Decoupage, Hand Painted, and the Hanging Gardens of Babylon Diorama.

In 1999, Jo was selected to represent California and have an egg go to the White House. Jo was the first Californian to win the entry. Her open egg depicted California mining and other California scenes around the required chicken egg. Unfortunately, this is the only picture that we've been able to find and it comes from the I. E. A. G newsletter issue #84, 1999. The State Egg Display tradition has been going on since 1994, and is coordinated by the American Egg Board who selects an artist from each state to paint/decorate an egg. To visit 2008's eggs and eggs from other years, go to White House State Eggs.

Jo's decoupage was wonderful and she loved anything paper. How many of you have seen the Japanese Pagoda with the doll made from a Q-Tip? That was Jo's design. She also designed a Peek-a-Boo egg. Taken from the sugar eggs you see at Easter with a scene inside. She mounted it on a stand with a box wired so that when you picked it up, the light inside came on and when you set it down the light went off. Bill designed the electronics for all her eggs and they sold them at shows for years. The egg below is one of my favorites. The kissing Mrs. Santa in the middle, surrounded by Christmas gifts. The five posts were covered with mirror flex. Underneath was the mechanism for a musical card and from the little slot in front you could pull out a plastic tab and a Christmas carole would play. We have lost a great Egg Artist. I know Jo is in heaven doing eggs with all the "great eggs" that have gone before her. All of those that knew her will miss her.

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This site was updated at 4:20 PM on 8/16/2009
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