Barbara Jean Bell

Barbara Jean Bell was born September 21, 1937 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. She and her parents, Russell and Imogene Wilson moved when she was a year old to Tulsa, Oklahoma. Barbara attended grade school, junior high school and graduated from Will Rogers High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma in 1955. After graduation she went to work for Brown-Dunkin Department Store in downtown Tulsa where Barbara and Donald first met. One year later she worked as a keypunch operator for a steel company. On November 9, 1956, Barbara and Don were joined in Holy Matrimony. Their son Earl Wayne Bell was born in 1957 in Stillwater, Oklahoma where Don attended Oklahoma State University. Barbara and her family moved to Amarillo, Texas where she worked at the Air Force Base there. They then moved to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for a while, and then moved to Lexington, Kentucky for 10 years. Barbara quit working while in Lexington to become a stay-at-home Mother to raise their son Wayne. (She did a fantastic job of it by the way.) IBM then moved the family to Boulder, Colorado where Don retired in 1991 after 30 years of service. In 2000, Barbara and Don moved again and made their home in Golden Vista RV Resort in Apache Junction, Arizona where they made many friends from all over the country. They began full-time RV-ing and traveling until 2013 when Barbara was diagnosed with Congestive Heart Failure (along with her arthritis and diabetes). Both Barb and Don loved camping and were campers and travelers from the very beginning of their lives together. They went on RV caravans to Mexico, Alaska, the Canadian Maritimes, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and Labrador. They sailed on cruises to the Caribbean and the Inside Passage from Alaska to Vancouver, BC. They celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary with a cruise through the Panama Canal. She became affiliated with the Loyal Order of Moose on July 14, 1983 when she joined Longmont, CO Chapter 1211. She received the Academy of Friendship Degree on May 4, 1986, the College of Regents Degree on June 8, 1991 and her Star Recorder Degree on May 26, 2000. Barbara and Don made their final RV trip when they traveled from Arizona to Orange Park, Florida. They visited their Son in San Antonio, Texas and other friends in the area before traveling on to Moosehaven. They arrived at Moosehaven on March 11, 2015 where Barbara resided for 3 months. Barbara always had a smile for everyone and made many friends on life's journey and was loved by many for her friendliness and outgoing personality. Barbara and Don have been partners for 58 years. Memorial Service will be held on Wednesday, June 17, 2015 at 10:30AM in the Moosehaven Chapel and will be conducted by Rev. Helen Taylor and Officers of Opportunity Chapter followed by inurnment in the Moosehaven Mausoleum. Barbara is survived by her husband, Donald Bell of Moosehaven, Orange Park, FL, son Earl Wayne (Cathy) Bell of San Antonio, TX and one sister, Sandra (Richard)Tunnell of Collinsville, Oklahoma, niece, Kim (Tunnell) Hunt, and nephew, Rusty Tunnell.