Grandpa Bell

For my 2 blog fans (a generous estimate, I'm sure,) outside of the Bell family, I just wanted to say a few things about Daurell's dad, Phil Bell who passed away Friday March 16th, in Quincy, Washington where he had lived the majority of his life. This picture of Grandpa Bell was on his 80th birthday. The leather working gloves were his signiture. He loved new leather gloves. Daurell laid an honorary new pair on his casket. Phil's cattle brand was called "The Lazy P" and at the mortuary Daurell fired up the old branding iron and burned it onto the casket. It was very fitting and touching. First thing that comes to mind about Phil Bell is that he was a funny, funny man. I always enjoyed a visit with him because there would inevitably be some good laughs. Our first good laugh together bonded us for life. His fun loving nature was a main theme at his funeral as well as his dedicated service to the church. When ever outside, he always wore a hat, cowboy, baseball but usually something with a tractor logo, fertilizer company or some farming emblem on it. When he would be laughing about something he would take his hat off, rub his hand over his head from front to back and put his hat back on. One summer when our family was staying at Lake Chelan, Grandpa and Grandma Bell drove up from Quincy one evening to have dinner with us. It was a warm evening and after dinner we were outside, the girls were fishing just below the bridge and we were all enjoying watching them. Amelia cast her line behind her ready to throw it forward and just as she did a car came by up on the bridge and her line hooked the car and took off. Due to the fact there was a forest fire down the lake in the mountains and the wind was blowing the floating ash in our direction, everytime Grandpa took his hat off and rubbed his head as he laughed at Amelia hooking a Ford, the top of his head got streaked more and more with the black ash falling from the sky. When I pointed it out to him once we got inside he was the one to laugh the hardest, next to his granddaughter fishing for trout and catching a passing car. In his humor though he was always inclusive, cared about others and made everyone feel at ease with his jovial nature. Even being paralyzed and unable to speak, he was still able to maintain his sense of humor. He was an active Stake Patriarch up until he had a stoke two years ago in April. Dedicated church service was his life.