He will always be remembered as a loving Husband, Father, Grandpa and Pappy. He was well-known as being outgoing and charismatic. A true Texas cowboy with grit, determination, compassion, love and faith to his friends and devoted family. He was born on June 19, 1945 in Meridian, Texas to Opal and Russell Bell.
Mike met Joellen Ivy in their childhood town of Waco, Texas at the age of 14. They married in June of 1962 at the age of 16, and were married 58 1/2 years. Mike enrolled at Stephen F. Austin University in Nacogdoches, Texas with a wife and 2 little baby girls in tow. He went to school and worked full-time, graduating in 1968 with a BA in art.
Although art was his passion, he learned that may not pay the bills. His father-in-law, Roscoe Ivy, introduced him to insurance adjusting right-out-of college. He worked as an insurance adjuster most of his life. In the 1970’s he opened his own adjusting company, ‘Bell Claims Service’ in Fort Worth. After his 2 girls graduated from high school, they decided to sell the business and become storm-troopers, following major weather disasters across the US for more than 20 years.
While he worked as an insurance adjuster, he enjoyed creating art most of all. He loved western scenes, Native American Indians, wind-mills, and light-houses in multiple medium types from pencil, charcoal, paint and watercolor. He has left behind many master- pieces that his family and friends will be admiring for many years to come. In addition to art, he loved all music, but country and western were always his go-to choice.
Mike is survived by his wife, Joellen Bell; daughters, Deann Wolcott of Rowlett and Dixie Cawthorne (Michael) of Bedford; grandchildren, Taylor Bunch (Ryan), Candice Carbery (Ryan), Ali Cawthorne (Zach Ramsey), Blake Wolcott, William Wolcott, and Michael Owen Cawthorne (Melissa); great-grandchildren, Payton Bunch, Stella Carbery, Aiden Carbery, Ronan Bunch, Michael Cawthorne II and Eli Ramsey; brothers, David Bell (Carla) of Georgia and Charles Bell (Betty) of Houston; sisters-in-law Jeanne Flint (Bob) of California and Patricia Ivy of Pennsylvania, and numerous nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents Opal and Russell Bell, in-laws Roscoe and Martha Jo Ivy, son-in-law, Barry Wolcott, and his brother-in-law, David Ivy.
The Funeral Service will be held at 10 o’clock on the 2nd of January 2021, at Bluebonnet Hills Funeral Home Chapel.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Alzheimer Foundation of America at www.alzfdn.org.
