Fayetteville, Arkansas
VISITATION:5 – 7 PM, Tuesday, April 24, 2012
FUNERAL SERVICE:2:00 PM, Wednesday, April 25, 2012
INTERMENT:Dowell Cemetery
Juanita E. Bell, 89, was reunited with her beloved husband, Floyd P. Bell, when she left this earth April 22, 2012. Born April 10, 1923 in Pea Ridge, she was the daughter of Galen O. and Pearl Neff
Gilbert. She was preceded in death by her husband, Floyd, brother, Wilbur (Gil) Gilbert, and her parents.
A life-long caregiver, Juanita trained as a registered nurse at St. Luke’s Hospital in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Returning to Arkansas, she began her career at Fayetteville City Hospital. During that time, she met and married Floyd. After leaving City Hospital, Juanita continued her career in the Washington Regional Medical Center’s obstetrics department. Juanita worked many years for Dr. Joe B. Hall, who remained a life-long friend. Later, as the first nurse for the Fayetteville Public Schools, she helped develop a dental program for students. Well before United Way
became the umbrella community organization, she recruited doctors, dentists and optometrists to serve underprivileged children in Northwest Arkansas. She also organized an army of volunteers to ensure Washington County residents were immunized against polio. Many of her efforts continue today. She was working at University of Arkansas Health Services when vision problems forced her to retire.
Juanita will be remembered as a wonderful daughter, sister, wife, mother, mother-in-law, nurse and friend. Throughout her life, she never lost her passion for helping others. She loved traveling, doing so whenever she could, often with her sister, Wilma, and Wilma’s husband, Pete.
She was a longtime member of Wiggins United Methodist Church in Fayetteville. Juanita is survived by sons, Michael E. Bell and wife Susan of Fayetteville, and retired Capt. Larry J. Bell and wife Gloria of San Antonio; granddaughters, Kerrie(Jonathon) Nelson of San Antonio and Lori (Damien) Lowe of Cabot; four great grandchildren; brothers, Galen Gilbert (Elnora) of Siloam Springs, James M. Gilbert (Mercedes) of Laguna Woods, Calif., and Gerald Gilbert of Longview, Texas; and sisters, Roberta LaCoste of Seattle, Wilma (O.C Pete) Peterson of Forks, Wash., and Doris (Eldon) Officer of Port Angeles, Wash.
The family is most appreciative of the care and personal attention Juanita received from the Nursing Home Care Staff (North Wing) at Fayetteville City Hospital and Washington Regional staff.
The Family will receive friends Tuesday from 5 to 7 PM at the Funeral Home. Funeral service will be held 2 PM, Wednesday, April 25, 2012 at Beard’s Funeral Chapel with Reverend Gary Lunsford officiating. Burial will be at Dowell Cemetery.
The family requests that memorials be made to Wiggins Memorial Methodist Church, 205 W Martin Luther King Blvd Fayetteville, AR 72701, Fayetteville City Hospital, 221 South School Avenue Fayetteville, AR 72701 or Washington Regional Hospice, P.O Box 356, Fayetteville, AR 72702.
Online condolences may be made to the family at www.beardsfuneralchapel.com
Juanita is my aunt. I only recently heard the news of her passing.
Mike, Larry, et al, please accept my condolences, and some remembrances.
I was too young to remember when I first met Juanita – probably the summer of 1962 when my Dad, Bobbie, took our family on vacations to Fayetteville. From our garage in Tacoma to Grandma Bells’ (Emma) house was ~ 2004 miles, and I loved every minute of it. The ‘women folk’ – that is my mom Dorothy and sister Cathy – didn’t travel on our later trips – they were ‘city girls’ who had a phobia to the indigenous bugs. 🙂
Juanita was a big part of my visits there, as the following story reveals.
The fourth of July was my favorite holiday – and having the unfortune to live in a “safe and sane” state, we could not buy firecrackers, roman candles, or ANY class ‘C’ fireworks.
Like a gift from God, I found a firecracker stand in town where 75 cents bought a 300 count roll of 1.5″ flashlight firecrackers! A small arsenal of bottle rockets and other minor devices were ready to go. But I needed someone to light them off with.. . .
I am not sure if it was at Grandmas’, or the “Old House” where there was a giant bull, or a Brahma, but me and Juanita lit (and threw) a lot of those crackers, and also some Roman candles.
She was like another kid who really liked to have fun.
I do believe she also helped me catch lightning bugs in jars at Grandmas place. (the one with no running water, a really nice box woodstove in the livingroom, and a stair/ladder where Uncle Jack climbed up to sleep at night.)
Apologies for the long message. Junita, thank you for playing with me, and rest in peace!
Brian Bell