RONALD LORNE BELL

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RONALD LORNE BELL 1950 - 2007 After a short courageous battle with cancer, Ron went home to heaven with his Savior, Jesus Christ. Ron was able to be at home with his family at his side, thanks to the wonderful palliative care team of doctors, nurses aides and a system in place to aide the family. Ron was born December 22, 1950, to Bert and Mary Bell, the third child of a family of six. He grew up on the family farm at Renwer and attended school at Deerpath School until the family moved into Minitonas in the early 1960s. At a young age Ron drove farm machinery, helped his dad build a house, ran his own trapline and hunted for food for the family. He became an excellent marksman and hunter, which was one of his passions all his life. Ron helped his parents run the pool room in Minitonas, then went north with his dad to work. He worked for awhile at HBMS at the smelter and for Northwest Diamond Drilling. Then he headed west to the Port Albera, British Columbia, where he worked with his brother at logging which Jerry later bought. In 1970, Ron returned to the valley. He began dating Julie during these years. Ron and his father, Bert, started their own logging company and began operating in the Duck Mountains. In 1974, Julie opened her first beauty salon in Minitonas in April of that year. In August Ron and Julie were married and bought their first home. In 1978, Jerry and his family returned to the valley and joined the family business. When Bert passed away in 1979 the two brothers ran the business together until 1985. Ron and Julie moved to Bowsman to accommodate their growing family of three children. Then in 1989 Ron joined AL Williams's CO. which later became Primerica Financial Services. This was a complete change of lifestyle for Ron and his family. Ron went from bush packs and beards to suits and a clean-shaven image. He handled this easily, Ron was as comfortable talking to a millionaire as he was to a farmer. Ron's thirst for knowledge was immense. He was a self-taught man who read encyclopedias and how-to books for pleasure. He bought one of the first computers to ever come out and made his own programs for it. Ron not only gained a lot of knowledge on many subjects but he remembered it and passed onto others and he was a great teacher. Ron could and did fix anything. Although he sometimes had parts leftover, but it didn't matter cause it still worked out. He did also design and build our log cabin with his own hands; he had a lot of help from family and friends. We went to rest and renew and spend most of our vacations there. Ron's biggest interests outside his family was flying and everything to do with planes. He consumed any book or magazine and studied it. He could tell you the history of almost every plane ever built. His dream was to retire and build his own kit plane and fly it. He had an opportunity this summer to be a part of a special dream. His sister Trudy and Sam Tulman, The Pas Rotarians and John Coulson of Timeless Treasures Photograph arranged for Ron and his family to attend the Snowbirds Air show at The Pas. Then they surprised Ron with a ride in the stunt plane with Kevin Hopkins in the Harmon Rocket. Afterwards Ron was taken behind military lines to personally meet the Snowbirds and have his picture taken by the pilot. All of his souvenirs were personally autographed. Ron was loved by his family, friends and community. He leaves a legacy of love behind him. He leaves to mourn, the love of his life, Julie, his daughter, Jennifer Mault, granddaughters, Jeniessa and Breanna, his sons, Jason (Jolene) Ryan (Sheyanne) and new grandson, Brady Bell. All his extended family and the young ones he adopted. Brother Jerry (Lucille) Bell and Family, sisters, Gwen Lyons, Trudy Wright (Sam Tulman), Valerie (Greg) Marlow, Cindy (Keith) Sparkman, Julie's Family, Nanny Gunter, Wayne (Janet) Church, Deanna (Ed) Reeves, Penny (Lanny) Bokovoy, Kevin (Charlotte) Church and families and many aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins. An evening visitation was held from the Chapel of Swan Valley Funeral Services on Sunday November 4, 2007, at 7:30 p.m. Funeral services were held from the War Veterans Community Hall in Swan River on Monday, November 5, 2007, at 2:00 p.m. with Pastor Karl Popke officiating. Following the service Ron was laid to rest in the Minitonas Cemetery, Minitonas, Manitoba. Active Pallbearers were Allan Harris, Neal Watkins, Ronald Boyko, Conan Church, Meako Marlow, Jerrid Sparkman, Joseph Lyons and Justin Reeves. Honourary Pallbearers were Trudy Wright and Sam Tulman, Ed and Dianna Reeves, Jessie and Karen Larocque, Deb and Andrew Kolbeck, Lyle and Caroline Lumax, Lyle and Nolette Turton, Lee and Wayne Collinridge, Nellie and Delbert Brown, Janice and Howard Taylor, Nestor Kozinski and all of Ron's hunting, fishing and target shooting buddies. Should friends so desire, memorial donations in Ron's memory may be made to the Home Care-Palliative (I.V. Pump) in care of Box 1028 - 1011 Main Street, Swan River, MB R0L 1Z0. Arrangements were entrusted to Jim Webster of Swan Valley Funeral Services Ltd. 363 Kelsey Trail (Hwy 10 North) Swan River, Manitoba. 734-5775

As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Nov 16, 2007