Robert Bell

Services are scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Thursday, July 12, at the Weed School in Weed, NM for Robert Russell Bell of Weed. Eddy Coleman and Randall Carr will officiate at the service, with interment to follow at the Pinon Cemetery, Pinon, NM.

Pallbearers will be sons Allen Bell and Shane Bell, and grandchildren Seth Pollard, Daniel Pollard, Andy Prude, Toby Hall, and Kody Adams. Honorary pallbearers will be Ty Prude, Cory Mimms, Kory Mereness, Aaron Brashears, Kaden Bell, Tracy Mimms, Mike Prude, Herb Sprague, John Sprague, and Calvin Winchester. Visitation will begin Wednesday, July 11 at 10:00 a.m. at Terpening Son Mortuary in Artesia, NM.

Robert Russell Bell was born August 26, 1924 at the Bell Ranch on Bluewater Canyon near Weed, NM to Jesse Parker Bell and Mary Melissa Moffett Bell. He died on July 9, 2012 on the same ranch at the age of 87.

Robert graduated from Weed High School in 1943 and soon entered the Navy. He served his country during World War II along with his brothers, Joe and Denny. He received the Bronze Star for his service.

On December 16, 1955, Robert married Lavona Sprague in Carlsbad, NM. They lived together at the Bell Ranch for nearly 57 years, and brought up their children Jessica, Andrea, Allen and Shane there.

Robert was passionate in his efforts to increase the quality of life for the residents of the Sacramento Mountains. He served on the committees to bring the Sacramento Mountain Medical Clinic to Cloudcroft and to build the new school in Weed in 1974. However, he will be most remembered for his efforts to be sure the communities of Weed, Sacramento and Pinon had dependable sources of water. As water is so scarce in the Pinon area, he allowed the community to use the water from the well at the Bell Ranch. He also served on the Soil and Water Conservation Board for 45 years and was a charter member of the Otero County Planning Commission. He received numerous awards for his conservation efforts including Tree Farmer of the Year, Otero County Wildlife Federation Conservationist of the Year, and Woodmen of the World Conservation Award and was inducted as an Oldtimer into the Sacramento Mountain Historical Society.

Above all, Robert will be remembered as a loving husband, devoted Dad and Daddy, Papa, Uncle Bob or Uncle Robert, and as a faithful servant of the Lord. He and Lavona devoted many years to the work of the church of Christ in Weed which his parents had helped establish in 1937, and continued to worship with the church in Cloudcroft after the church at Weed closed. When he couldnt remember much else, he could remember the prayer he always said, and the words to the songs he had sung all of his life.

Survivors include his wife, Lavona of the family home daughters Jessica and husband Mike Prude of Artesia, and Andrea and husband Tracy Mimms of Weed sons Allen of Artesia and Shane and wife Amy of Los Lunas grandchildren Nolene Adams and husband Kody, Jeanene and husband Toby Hall, Seth Pollard and wife Elizabeth, Aaron Brashears and wife Cara, Cory Mimms, Ty Prude, Mandy Mereness and husband Kory, Naomi Mimms, Daniel Pollard and wife Mary, Andy Prude, Lori Bell, Kelsey Bell and Kaden Bell 9 greatgrandchildren sister Millie Samuels and brother Dalton Bell and numerous nieces and nephews.

He was proceeded in death by his parents and brothers J.Marion Bell, Joe Bell, and Edwin Denny Bell.

The family requests donations be made to the Ethiopian Water Well Project at Hermosa Drive Church of Christ, 1302 W. Hermosa, Artesia, NM 88210 the Guatamalan missions at Cloudcroft Church of Christ , P.O. Box 316, Cloudcroft, NM 88317, or the charity of your choice.