Obituary for Richard M. Bell, Jr.
Richard M. Bell, Jr. was born August 3, 1918 and departed this life at Hunter McGuire Veterans Medical Center in Richmond, VA on November 10, 2017 at the age of 99 years old.
Richard Bell met and married Catherine Hawkes and was married for 56 years. She preceded him in death in 2003.
His siblings that preceded him in death are: four brothers, Theodore, Roosevelt, Archer and Vernon Bell; three sisters, Annie Oliver, Mamie Payor, Bessie Eppes, Ida Holloway and Roberta Bolling.
He accepted the Lord and was baptized at an early age at the Cellar Creek Baptist Church.
Every August the four brothers and Richard would come down from Baltimore, MD to attend the revival at Cellar Creek Baptist Church and one or two nights of revival at Springhill Baptist Church before journeying back to Baltimore.
He worked various jobs after moving to Washington, DC. He was called for service in the United States Army in 1941. He served in WWII from 1941 to 1945. He often talked about his experiences as one of the “Red Ball Express” drivers that transported ammunition and supplies to the front line. He was presented and received seven earned medals on August 26, 2017, 70 years after the war.
After his tour of the U.S. Army Service, he resided in Baltimore, MD. He worked at the Bethlehem Steel Company in Baltimore, MD and retired after 30 years of service.
He was a faithful member at the City Temple in Baltimore, MD where he was a devoted Deacon and served in many other ministries of the church. He was also known as the “Praying Deacon”. He loved reading the Bible in bed at bedtime.
He returned back home in Blackstone, VA in 2004 and attended church every Sunday until his health start failing. Surprisingly he was also called the “Praying Deacon” at Cellar Creek Baptist Church. He loved God and his church family.
He leaves to cherish his memories: a devoted nephew, William (Evelyn) Bolling of Blackstone, VA; devoted niece, Annie (Melvin) Anthony of Richmond, VA; nieces, Thelma Holloway, Ida Frasier, Beatrice Mavin, Esther Sessoms, Grace Lynch, Mary Lee, Mildred Prince and Diane Green; nephews, Emmitt Hawkes, Herman Hawkes, Jacob Oliver, Theodore Bell and James Holloway; sisters-in-law., Odell Brown, Ella Ellis, Vernell Fulghan; other nieces and nephews from Baltimore, VA; great nieces, Germaine Oliver, Valeria Sessoms, Ellen Harvey (devoted), Catherine Harvey Edward (devoted), Barbara J. Mitchell, Patricia I. Parker; great nephews, Kenneth Harvey, Benjamin Sessoms, Jr. and James Bolling (devoted); and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Cellar Creek Baptist Church, Blackstone. Interment Monday, November 20, 2017 at Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, MD.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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Richard Bell met and married Catherine Hawkes and was married for 56 years. She preceded him in death in 2003.
His siblings that preceded him in death are: four brothers, Theodore, Roosevelt, Archer and Vernon Bell; three sisters, Annie Oliver, Mamie Payor, Bessie Eppes, Ida Holloway and Roberta Bolling.
He accepted the Lord and was baptized at an early age at the Cellar Creek Baptist Church.
Every August the four brothers and Richard would come down from Baltimore, MD to attend the revival at Cellar Creek Baptist Church and one or two nights of revival at Springhill Baptist Church before journeying back to Baltimore.
He worked various jobs after moving to Washington, DC. He was called for service in the United States Army in 1941. He served in WWII from 1941 to 1945. He often talked about his experiences as one of the “Red Ball Express” drivers that transported ammunition and supplies to the front line. He was presented and received seven earned medals on August 26, 2017, 70 years after the war.
After his tour of the U.S. Army Service, he resided in Baltimore, MD. He worked at the Bethlehem Steel Company in Baltimore, MD and retired after 30 years of service.
He was a faithful member at the City Temple in Baltimore, MD where he was a devoted Deacon and served in many other ministries of the church. He was also known as the “Praying Deacon”. He loved reading the Bible in bed at bedtime.
He returned back home in Blackstone, VA in 2004 and attended church every Sunday until his health start failing. Surprisingly he was also called the “Praying Deacon” at Cellar Creek Baptist Church. He loved God and his church family.
He leaves to cherish his memories: a devoted nephew, William (Evelyn) Bolling of Blackstone, VA; devoted niece, Annie (Melvin) Anthony of Richmond, VA; nieces, Thelma Holloway, Ida Frasier, Beatrice Mavin, Esther Sessoms, Grace Lynch, Mary Lee, Mildred Prince and Diane Green; nephews, Emmitt Hawkes, Herman Hawkes, Jacob Oliver, Theodore Bell and James Holloway; sisters-in-law., Odell Brown, Ella Ellis, Vernell Fulghan; other nieces and nephews from Baltimore, VA; great nieces, Germaine Oliver, Valeria Sessoms, Ellen Harvey (devoted), Catherine Harvey Edward (devoted), Barbara J. Mitchell, Patricia I. Parker; great nephews, Kenneth Harvey, Benjamin Sessoms, Jr. and James Bolling (devoted); and a host of other relatives and friends.
Funeral Services Saturday, November 18, 2017 at 2:00 p.m. at Cellar Creek Baptist Church, Blackstone. Interment Monday, November 20, 2017 at Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore, MD.
W.E. Hawkes & Son Funeral Home of Blackstone in charge of arrangements.
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