"Ding" And "Radar"

John M. “Radar” “Ding” Bell, age 77, of Melbourne, formerly Marshalltown, passed away on the morning of Wednesday, October 27th, at the Iowa River Hospice Home.             Funeral services will be held Tuesday, November 9 at 1:00 P.M. at the Mitchell Family Funeral Home in Marshalltown. He will be laid to rest in the Melbourne Memorial Gardens Cemetery at Melbourne- a community he loved. Visitation will be held two hours prior to the services, beginning at 11:00 A.M. Memorials may be directed to his family to be given at a future date to the Melbourne First Responders. The family greatly appreciates this group for the emergency care John received over the years. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com . Ph. 641-844-1234.             Born John Michael Bell on September 24th, 1944, in Des Moines, he was the son of Dale Gerald and Norma Jeanne (Kelsey) Bell. During his junior year, his dad (a banker) transferred to Sioux City, and John graduated from the Sioux City East High School. He would be the first to admit, academics were not his strongest suit, and his class rank was #141 out of 144 students- he still kicked those last three good! He returned to his hometown to attend Grand View University and played basketball alongside Dolph Pulliam. His college career could be simply summed up by watching the movie “Animal House.”             John was inspired by his dad’s brother, Bob Bell, from a young age. Bob was a nearly 50 year funeral director for Hamilton’s Funeral Home in Des Moines. John inherited that same passion. After Grand View University and a year at American Institute of Business, he departed for the Dallas Institute of Mortuary Science. He drove a Chevy Corvair that could make it from Dallas to Sioux City in 10 hours…..the highway patrol is still looking for him! He began his funeral service career at Larkin’s Funeral Home in Sioux City on Jennings Street. In the early part of 1969, he answered a want ad for the Pursel-Davis Funeral Home, moving his new bride to Marshalltown in November of 1968. His career started with running the ambulance- living one block south and running to the funeral home to go to needed emergencies. John worked alongside Hugh Davis as his manager until November of 1991, when he transferred his years of experience and knowledge of families to the Estel-Perrin-Avey Funeral Home. John was employed there until February of 2008. Retirement at that age didn’t settle for John and soon he accepted a position at the Meskwaki Casino in security, working there until health concerns arose. Even though he had a totally different career, his passion for funeral service never diminished.             On June 8th, 1968, at St. Mark’s Church in Des Moines, he was united in marriage to Billie Adey. The young couple was blessed with three children- Christian, Jason and, Morgan. Though their lives parted, they shared three wonderful children and several beautiful grandchildren together. Later in life, he was married to Arlene (Johnston) Kremer.             John was a former member and active in several positions on the Iowa Funeral Directors Association, the Iowa River Hospice Board, instrumental in the development of the Iowa Lion’s Eye Bank for cornea transplant, and supporting community events. He enjoyed trips to the Circus World Museum in Baraboo, WI and having a cigarette, Coke and a Milky Way. In younger years, he enjoyed playing softball for Beaner’s Tap and Hoskins Harley Davidson.            Left to cherish his memory are his children-Christian (Becky) Bell of Monticello and their children McKenna and Erlin; Jason (JoAnne) Bell and their children- Sabrina, Jonah and Madeline of Erie, CO and Morgan Davis and her children Skylar, Sierra and Dakota of Des Moines; his sister Bonnie Bell of Des Moines, and several cousins.             In death, John rejoined his parents and several dogs he deeply loved and cherished.