The first-born of eleven children of David Clayton Bell, Sr. and Edna Josephine Downs Bell, Marvin Barnard Bell was born Friday, April 20, 1897 in Clyde/Ellabell, Bryan County, Georgia. Like his two daughters, he had brown eyes, black hair, and was of medium height. Marvin completed the seventh grade. He married Nevada McClelland Bell on November 20, 1920 at her parents' home near Ivanhoe (Briar Patch), Bulloch County, Georgia, and they moved to Savannah, Chatham County, Georgia where their two daughters M. Kathleen Bell Neely and E. Lois Bell Myatt were born. Marvin met Nevada at church in 1918 when his family moved to nearby Olney, Bulloch County, Georgia. Two of the many good qualities Nevada attributed to Marvin were that he never drank alcohol and never cursed. From 1924 to 1927 the Bells lived in Avondale in Savannah. From 1928 to 1930 they lived at 413 East Gaston Street in Savannah. By 1932 they lived at 509 Gaston Street in Savannah. In 1940 they lived at 110 West 34th Street.

A carpenter, Marvin also worked fulltime at night at Railway Express in Savannah. He loved to ride motorcycles. He read National Geographic Magazines and dreamed of traveling the world, something his daughter, granddaughter, great-granddaughter, and great-great-granddaughter got to do. After years of heart trouble, Marvin died of a heart attack at age 43 at Railway Express at the end of the Georgia-South Carolina hurricane of August 11-12, 1940. Marvin always had an adventurous spirit. and hours earlier, over his wife's objections, he had taken his daughter Kathleen out to explore as the eye of the hurricane passed over Savannah. His was one of two deaths in Savannah attributed to the hurricane although he did not "die of fright" of the hurricane as the press reported. His heart had been steadily weakening for many months, and it happened to fail at the time of the hurricane. He died at the height of the Perseid Meteor Shower.

Marvin is buried next to his beloved wife Nevada in Old Fellowship Missionary Baptist Church Cemetery in Bulloch County. He and Nevada had one grandchild, Sharlotte Neely Donnelly; one great-grandchild, Bridgette Donnelly; and one great-great-grandchild, Quinn Donnelly. Marvin's ancestry was English, Scots, Welsh, and--through the Bell surname--Native American (Lumbee). He was a direct descendant of 18th century artist Joseph Badger.

Thanks so much to his wife Nevada McClelland Bell and daughters Kathleen Bell Neely and Lois Bell Myatt for much of this information. Any errors, however, are mine alone. Please go to the "edit" link on this site with any corrections or additions.