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Dawnette Bell of Fairview, Oklahoma | 1956 - 2016 |
A memorial service is scheduled for 2 p.m., Monday, September 26, 2016, at the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church for Dawnette Bell, 60, of Fairview who passed from this life today, Thursday, September 22, 2016. Cremation arrangements are by Fairview Funeral Home Inc.
Dawnette Martens Bell was born on August 14, 1956, to Harry and Viola Martens. She grew up on the family farm northeast of Fairview, Oklahoma. Her faith was an important part of her life, as she had accepted the Lord as her Savior at an early age and was baptized at the age of 11 in the Fairview Mennonite Brethren Church.
Dawnette attended Fairview Public Schools and the Oklahoma Bible Academy in Meno, after which she earned a Bachelor of Science in Education at Tabor College in Hillsboro, Kansas. She spent four summers during college working at Yosemite National Park, where she met her future husband, Steve Bell. After a bit of travelling back and forth between California and Kansas, Steve and Dawnette were married on December 13, 1980, at the Neighborhood Church of Woodland Hills, CA. They lived for several years in North Hollywood, after which they moved to Fairview to raise a family. Yosemite remained a special place for Dawnette and her family, and she loved returning to see the big trees and waterfalls.
Dawnette loved to teach, both inside and outside of the classroom; she was a devoted elementary school teacher for 31 years in Longdale, Enid, and Fairview. She specialized in math and science, and countless students remember her classroom full of goodies, like pinecones, mineral and rock collections, tarantulas, and other natural wonders that grew and changed each year. Dawnette also spent time at Daylight Donuts pouring coffee, and doing all manner of work at the Plymouth Valley Winery. She loved to give tasting notes to visitors of the winery � even though she wasn�t a wine drinker herself
Dawnette filled her spare time with a huge variety of activities. She and Steve enjoyed traveling with family and friends; they have been to all four corners of the U.S. and almost everywhere in between! She loved to volunteer at parties at the Fellowship Home Apartment and spend time with her many friends. One of her greatest joys in life was to meet new people; Dawnette embodied the adage "she'd "never met a stranger."
Dawnette passed away early in the morning on Thursday, September 22, surrounded by loved ones. Her optimism and positivity were an inspiration to all of us; her strength in God and a community of family and friends carried her through the end of her battle.
She is survived by her husband Steve, sons Aaron (Meg) and Grant (Brittany), as well as her mother Viola, sister Arlene (Brent), and brothers Mike (Ann) and Max, as well as countless beloved nieces, nephews, family, and friends.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be sent to Heifer International, a charity whose mission is to work with communities to end world hunger and poverty and to care for the Earth.
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