Clifford Owen Bell

Cliff was born in his paternal grandparents' home in Luling, TX. and resided there with his parents, younger brother Bob and other family members for his first few years. It was an idyllic time for him as he and Bob spent countless hours exploring pasture land where they collected numerous arrowheads from underneath old oak trees. This was a time of freedom enjoyed by both boys. Cliff and his brother were doted on by their parents and three very special and most beloved aunts. This home and these ladies in Luling remained a touchstone for the Bells for future generations, too.

At the age of seven, Cliff's immediate family moved to Lockhart and then on to San Antonio. Now he experienced city life as opposed to the rural life he enjoyed in Luling. Cliff rode his bike all over San Antonio including out to Stinson field where he spent time delighting in the airplanes. He attended Page Junior High and Brackenridge High School. Around the age of fifteen, Cliff became interested in photography. What began as a hobby became a true lifelong passion. After graduating from Brack he went to the Ray School of Photography in Chicago. This interest of his not only provided employment for some time but also became a way for Cliff to serve his country.

After the US entered WWII, Cliff enlisted as a photographer for the Army. He served in Africa, Italy, Germany and France. He was part of the Rangers amphibious landing behind German lines in Anzio. The book, Anzio: Edge of Disaster by William L. Allen, contains some of Cliff's photos as well as a picture of him in his temporary Italian residence, a roomy two bedroom cave. Cliff said the worst day of his long life was the day the Americans overran Dachau. Of course, he was called on to document these atrocities in photographs. After the war was declared over, Cliff borrowed a jeep, went AWOL and drove to see his brother, also in the Army Air Corps, who at that time was just outside of Berlin. This was the first time they had seen each other in three years. It wasn't until after his death that the family discovered Cliff had been awarded a Bronze Star Medal for his action during the war.

Cliff had an adventurous spirit which led him to engage in various endeavors upon his discharge from the service. He and a childhood friend purchased a banana plantation in the Mexican tropics. Unfortunately, a hurricane wiped them out two years later. Next came a career in oil exploration in west Texas, Montana and all points in between. Finally tired of the unsettled life, Cliff took a job with the Corp of Engineers, moving to Ft. Worth, TX for this position. He lived there for most of the remainder of his life.

Cliff lived life enthusiastically and on his own terms. As a child of the Great Depression, he saw frugality as a virtue and loved finding ways to implement this in his own life. He was an artist, expressing his talent through painting, writing and of course, photography. When computers became a part of everyday life, Cliff used his for correspondence with family, friends and for furtherance of his interest in genealogy. The Bell family history was very important to him and he spent many hours online researching the family tree. Another hobby for Cliff was the stock market. He was an avid and successful investor. He was a reader, enjoying material on a variety of topics, until his eyesight failed. Cliff relished the great outdoors, whether that involved feeding the birds and squirrels, photographing flowers or taking walks. He always had a cat living with him, most of them named Kitty, until his last cat. This was Panther Kitty aka PK whom he especially adored.

Cliff is survived by his brother, Robert Bell, nieces Susan Holt and husband Rob, Bobbi Farquhar and husband Kyle and nephew Jim Bell and wife Debbie, along with their respective families. Clifford was a unique, interesting, free spirited man who will be greatly missed by all who had the privilege of loving him. There'll never be another like him.