Lucresie “Cresie” Bell, age 82, passed away on August 31, 2026. She was born January 30, 1944, in Kansas City, Kansas, to Wendell B. Neal and Juanita Lewis. Lucresie attended Cleveland School in Coffeyville and later Olathe North. She was a proud longtime citizen of Olathe, Kansas, a community she loved and was proud to call home.
Lucresie lived a full life centered around faith, family, and love. She took great pride in watching her family grow through the generations and treasured the many relationships she built throughout her life.
Lucresie dedicated 21 years of service to Olathe Medical Center as a Central Processing Technician. She was hardworking, dedicated, and proud of both her career and her community.
Her faith was an important part of her life. Lucresie was a devoted member of the Church of the Living God for decades, where she built lasting relationships and shared in fellowship with her church family. She also faithfully served as an usher for many years, welcoming others and serving her church with love.
Lucresie leaves to cherish her memory her son, Thaddeous Hill Jr. (Beverly); her brother, Columbus Neal; her blended family, Cheryl Bates, Mark Bell, and Tonja Bell; her grandsons, Jalen L. Hill (Dachelle) and Tre Hill III; her great-granddaughter, Zarah; and a host of grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces, great-nieces, nephews, great-nephews, cousins, extended family, dear friends, and the many neighbors.
Lucresie knew both the beauty of love and the heartache of loss throughout her lifetime. She was preceded in death by her parents, Wendell B. Neal and Juanita Lewis; three brothers; three beloved sons; Thaddeous Hill Sr., the father of her son; her husbands, Thomas Bates and Alfred Eugene Bell Sr.; her bonus sons, Barry Bates and Alfred Bell Jr.; and her niece, Quentella Neal. The memories of those she loved remained a part of her heart and her story.
Lucresie will be remembered for her strength, her faith, her love of family, and the life she built in the community she proudly called home. She leaves behind generations of family, treasured friendships, and memories that will continue to live in the hearts of those who knew and loved her.
Her family was her everything, and to her family, Lucresie was everything, too.
