John (JB) was the 4th child of Dennis and Gail (Conn) Bell. He was born in Bremerhaven, Germany when his father was in the United States Air Force. John never married. He had two brothers - Robert and Thomas, and three sisters -Mari, Melinda and Sarah.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Friday, March 19, 1999, by Tanya Eiserer - staff writer, "2 KILLED IN FIERY I-80 CRASH, Two men who delivered furniture for Nebraska Furniture Mart died Thursday from injuries sustained in a fiery truck crash on Interstate 80 about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs, the Iowa State Patrol said. Killed were the driver, John Bell, 20, of Bellevue, and the passenger, Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, said Sgt. Dave Garrison, a State Patrol spokesman in Des Moines. "All of the people of Nebraska Furniture Mart give our sympathy to the family," said Robert Batt, vice president of Nebraska Furniture Mart. "The boys were young and they had a long life in front of them." It's the first time that someone making deliveries for the Furniture Mart has been killed in a traffic accident in the company's 62-year history, he said. Thomas, the owner-operator of the truck, delivered furniture for Ford Brothers Moving and Storage Co., one of Furniture Mart's subcontractors, Batt said. Bell, he said, was Thomas' helper. Thomas had been a contractor with Ford Van Lines since August, said Rick Ford of Ford Brothers. "They were good guys - all the way through," Ford said. "We've got a whole bunch of people at the Mart that were pretty close to these guys. Right now, it's pretty much a shock to the entire team." Batt said the two men had left Omaha early Thursday morning enroute to deliver furniture and appliances in eastern Iowa. They had not made any deliveries before the accident, he said. The accident happened about 4:45 a.m. at the 98 mile marker on I-80 about one mile east of the Dexter interchange, Garrison said. Garrison said the two men were driving east on Interstate 80 in a 1994 straight truck when Bell apparently fell asleep. The truck drifted into the south ditch, struck a guardrail, jumped the guardrail and hit a bridge abutment. The truck then burst into flames. Batt said he was told by the Iowa State Patrol that two truck drivers stopped and pulled Thomas out of the burning vehicle. "They saw the accident and stopped," he said. "They called on their CBs to the Iowa State Patrol." Bell was pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas was taken by medical helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he later was pronounced dead. The Interstate was closed for about an hour wile the wreckage was cleared away, Garrison said."
OBITUARY: OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Saturday, March 20, 1999. BELL- John S., 20 yrs., March 18, 1999, Bellevue. Survived by parents, Dennis and Gail; sisters, Mari Bell, Melinda and husband, Jeremy Byers, Sarah, all of Bellevue; brothers, Robert and wife, Tami, Omaha, Tom, Bellevue; grandparents, Clois and Helen Reppond, Alex, OK; grandmother, Hazel and husband, Frank Bankovich, Wallowa, OR; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins. Memorials to the family. FUNERAL SERVICE Mon. 10 am, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2210 Harlan Drive, Interment Bellevue Cemetery. VISITATION Sun, 6-8 pm, Bellevue Memorial Chapel, 22nd & Hancock, Bellevue.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Monday, March 29, 1999, by Erin Grace staff writer. "FAMILY GATHERS TO RECAL LIFE OF JOHN BELL. John Bell did not live to see his 21st birthday, but a week after his death in a fiery truck crash in Iowa, his family gathered to celebrate and remember. Bell, 20, of Bellevue, died March 18 when the truck he was driving went off the road, hit a bridge abutment and then burst into flames. Also killed was Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, a passenger. The accident occured about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs. The two wre delivering furniture and appliances for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Funeral services for Bell were held March 22 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bellevue. The church, said his mother, Gail Bell, was packed that day (estimated at 500). On Friday, Bell's siblings and friends gathered at Fort Crook Billiards in Bellevue a favorite hangout, where a 21st birthday party for Bell previously was planned. "Everybody says that John always had a smile on his face," his mother said. "You would have thought he had no cares in the world - happy-go-lucky. But he was very sensitive." John Bell, whose father was in the military, was born in Bremerhaven, Germany. His family moved to Plano, Texas, before settling in Bellevue. Bell was the fourth of six children. Other survivors include his father, Dennis; sisters Mari Bell, Melinda Byers and Sarah Bell of Bellevue; brothers Robert Bell of Omaha and Tom Bell of Bellevue; and grandparents Clois and Helen Reppond of Alex, Okla."
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Friday, March 19, 1999, by Tanya Eiserer - staff writer, "2 KILLED IN FIERY I-80 CRASH, Two men who delivered furniture for Nebraska Furniture Mart died Thursday from injuries sustained in a fiery truck crash on Interstate 80 about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs, the Iowa State Patrol said. Killed were the driver, John Bell, 20, of Bellevue, and the passenger, Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, said Sgt. Dave Garrison, a State Patrol spokesman in Des Moines. "All of the people of Nebraska Furniture Mart give our sympathy to the family," said Robert Batt, vice president of Nebraska Furniture Mart. "The boys were young and they had a long life in front of them." It's the first time that someone making deliveries for the Furniture Mart has been killed in a traffic accident in the company's 62-year history, he said. Thomas, the owner-operator of the truck, delivered furniture for Ford Brothers Moving and Storage Co., one of Furniture Mart's subcontractors, Batt said. Bell, he said, was Thomas' helper. Thomas had been a contractor with Ford Van Lines since August, said Rick Ford of Ford Brothers. "They were good guys - all the way through," Ford said. "We've got a whole bunch of people at the Mart that were pretty close to these guys. Right now, it's pretty much a shock to the entire team." Batt said the two men had left Omaha early Thursday morning enroute to deliver furniture and appliances in eastern Iowa. They had not made any deliveries before the accident, he said. The accident happened about 4:45 a.m. at the 98 mile marker on I-80 about one mile east of the Dexter interchange, Garrison said. Garrison said the two men were driving east on Interstate 80 in a 1994 straight truck when Bell apparently fell asleep. The truck drifted into the south ditch, struck a guardrail, jumped the guardrail and hit a bridge abutment. The truck then burst into flames. Batt said he was told by the Iowa State Patrol that two truck drivers stopped and pulled Thomas out of the burning vehicle. "They saw the accident and stopped," he said. "They called on their CBs to the Iowa State Patrol." Bell was pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas was taken by medical helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he later was pronounced dead. The Interstate was closed for about an hour wile the wreckage was cleared away, Garrison said."
OBITUARY: OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Saturday, March 20, 1999. BELL- John S., 20 yrs., March 18, 1999, Bellevue. Survived by parents, Dennis and Gail; sisters, Mari Bell, Melinda and husband, Jeremy Byers, Sarah, all of Bellevue; brothers, Robert and wife, Tami, Omaha, Tom, Bellevue; grandparents, Clois and Helen Reppond, Alex, OK; grandmother, Hazel and husband, Frank Bankovich, Wallowa, OR; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins. Memorials to the family. FUNERAL SERVICE Mon. 10 am, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2210 Harlan Drive, Interment Bellevue Cemetery. VISITATION Sun, 6-8 pm, Bellevue Memorial Chapel, 22nd & Hancock, Bellevue.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Monday, March 29, 1999, by Erin Grace staff writer. "FAMILY GATHERS TO RECAL LIFE OF JOHN BELL. John Bell did not live to see his 21st birthday, but a week after his death in a fiery truck crash in Iowa, his family gathered to celebrate and remember. Bell, 20, of Bellevue, died March 18 when the truck he was driving went off the road, hit a bridge abutment and then burst into flames. Also killed was Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, a passenger. The accident occured about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs. The two wre delivering furniture and appliances for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Funeral services for Bell were held March 22 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bellevue. The church, said his mother, Gail Bell, was packed that day (estimated at 500). On Friday, Bell's siblings and friends gathered at Fort Crook Billiards in Bellevue a favorite hangout, where a 21st birthday party for Bell previously was planned. "Everybody says that John always had a smile on his face," his mother said. "You would have thought he had no cares in the world - happy-go-lucky. But he was very sensitive." John Bell, whose father was in the military, was born in Bremerhaven, Germany. His family moved to Plano, Texas, before settling in Bellevue. Bell was the fourth of six children. Other survivors include his father, Dennis; sisters Mari Bell, Melinda Byers and Sarah Bell of Bellevue; brothers Robert Bell of Omaha and Tom Bell of Bellevue; and grandparents Clois and Helen Reppond of Alex, Okla."
John (JB) was the 4th child of Dennis and Gail (Conn) Bell. He was born in Bremerhaven, Germany when his father was in the United States Air Force. John never married. He had two brothers - Robert and Thomas, and three sisters -Mari, Melinda and Sarah.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Friday, March 19, 1999, by Tanya Eiserer - staff writer, "2 KILLED IN FIERY I-80 CRASH, Two men who delivered furniture for Nebraska Furniture Mart died Thursday from injuries sustained in a fiery truck crash on Interstate 80 about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs, the Iowa State Patrol said. Killed were the driver, John Bell, 20, of Bellevue, and the passenger, Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, said Sgt. Dave Garrison, a State Patrol spokesman in Des Moines. "All of the people of Nebraska Furniture Mart give our sympathy to the family," said Robert Batt, vice president of Nebraska Furniture Mart. "The boys were young and they had a long life in front of them." It's the first time that someone making deliveries for the Furniture Mart has been killed in a traffic accident in the company's 62-year history, he said. Thomas, the owner-operator of the truck, delivered furniture for Ford Brothers Moving and Storage Co., one of Furniture Mart's subcontractors, Batt said. Bell, he said, was Thomas' helper. Thomas had been a contractor with Ford Van Lines since August, said Rick Ford of Ford Brothers. "They were good guys - all the way through," Ford said. "We've got a whole bunch of people at the Mart that were pretty close to these guys. Right now, it's pretty much a shock to the entire team." Batt said the two men had left Omaha early Thursday morning enroute to deliver furniture and appliances in eastern Iowa. They had not made any deliveries before the accident, he said. The accident happened about 4:45 a.m. at the 98 mile marker on I-80 about one mile east of the Dexter interchange, Garrison said. Garrison said the two men were driving east on Interstate 80 in a 1994 straight truck when Bell apparently fell asleep. The truck drifted into the south ditch, struck a guardrail, jumped the guardrail and hit a bridge abutment. The truck then burst into flames. Batt said he was told by the Iowa State Patrol that two truck drivers stopped and pulled Thomas out of the burning vehicle. "They saw the accident and stopped," he said. "They called on their CBs to the Iowa State Patrol." Bell was pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas was taken by medical helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he later was pronounced dead. The Interstate was closed for about an hour wile the wreckage was cleared away, Garrison said."
OBITUARY: OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Saturday, March 20, 1999. BELL- John S., 20 yrs., March 18, 1999, Bellevue. Survived by parents, Dennis and Gail; sisters, Mari Bell, Melinda and husband, Jeremy Byers, Sarah, all of Bellevue; brothers, Robert and wife, Tami, Omaha, Tom, Bellevue; grandparents, Clois and Helen Reppond, Alex, OK; grandmother, Hazel and husband, Frank Bankovich, Wallowa, OR; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins. Memorials to the family. FUNERAL SERVICE Mon. 10 am, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2210 Harlan Drive, Interment Bellevue Cemetery. VISITATION Sun, 6-8 pm, Bellevue Memorial Chapel, 22nd & Hancock, Bellevue.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Monday, March 29, 1999, by Erin Grace staff writer. "FAMILY GATHERS TO RECAL LIFE OF JOHN BELL. John Bell did not live to see his 21st birthday, but a week after his death in a fiery truck crash in Iowa, his family gathered to celebrate and remember. Bell, 20, of Bellevue, died March 18 when the truck he was driving went off the road, hit a bridge abutment and then burst into flames. Also killed was Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, a passenger. The accident occured about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs. The two wre delivering furniture and appliances for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Funeral services for Bell were held March 22 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bellevue. The church, said his mother, Gail Bell, was packed that day (estimated at 500). On Friday, Bell's siblings and friends gathered at Fort Crook Billiards in Bellevue a favorite hangout, where a 21st birthday party for Bell previously was planned. "Everybody says that John always had a smile on his face," his mother said. "You would have thought he had no cares in the world - happy-go-lucky. But he was very sensitive." John Bell, whose father was in the military, was born in Bremerhaven, Germany. His family moved to Plano, Texas, before settling in Bellevue. Bell was the fourth of six children. Other survivors include his father, Dennis; sisters Mari Bell, Melinda Byers and Sarah Bell of Bellevue; brothers Robert Bell of Omaha and Tom Bell of Bellevue; and grandparents Clois and Helen Reppond of Alex, Okla."
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Friday, March 19, 1999, by Tanya Eiserer - staff writer, "2 KILLED IN FIERY I-80 CRASH, Two men who delivered furniture for Nebraska Furniture Mart died Thursday from injuries sustained in a fiery truck crash on Interstate 80 about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs, the Iowa State Patrol said. Killed were the driver, John Bell, 20, of Bellevue, and the passenger, Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, said Sgt. Dave Garrison, a State Patrol spokesman in Des Moines. "All of the people of Nebraska Furniture Mart give our sympathy to the family," said Robert Batt, vice president of Nebraska Furniture Mart. "The boys were young and they had a long life in front of them." It's the first time that someone making deliveries for the Furniture Mart has been killed in a traffic accident in the company's 62-year history, he said. Thomas, the owner-operator of the truck, delivered furniture for Ford Brothers Moving and Storage Co., one of Furniture Mart's subcontractors, Batt said. Bell, he said, was Thomas' helper. Thomas had been a contractor with Ford Van Lines since August, said Rick Ford of Ford Brothers. "They were good guys - all the way through," Ford said. "We've got a whole bunch of people at the Mart that were pretty close to these guys. Right now, it's pretty much a shock to the entire team." Batt said the two men had left Omaha early Thursday morning enroute to deliver furniture and appliances in eastern Iowa. They had not made any deliveries before the accident, he said. The accident happened about 4:45 a.m. at the 98 mile marker on I-80 about one mile east of the Dexter interchange, Garrison said. Garrison said the two men were driving east on Interstate 80 in a 1994 straight truck when Bell apparently fell asleep. The truck drifted into the south ditch, struck a guardrail, jumped the guardrail and hit a bridge abutment. The truck then burst into flames. Batt said he was told by the Iowa State Patrol that two truck drivers stopped and pulled Thomas out of the burning vehicle. "They saw the accident and stopped," he said. "They called on their CBs to the Iowa State Patrol." Bell was pronounced dead at the scene. Thomas was taken by medical helicopter to Iowa Methodist Medical Center in Des Moines, where he later was pronounced dead. The Interstate was closed for about an hour wile the wreckage was cleared away, Garrison said."
OBITUARY: OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Saturday, March 20, 1999. BELL- John S., 20 yrs., March 18, 1999, Bellevue. Survived by parents, Dennis and Gail; sisters, Mari Bell, Melinda and husband, Jeremy Byers, Sarah, all of Bellevue; brothers, Robert and wife, Tami, Omaha, Tom, Bellevue; grandparents, Clois and Helen Reppond, Alex, OK; grandmother, Hazel and husband, Frank Bankovich, Wallowa, OR; several aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins. Memorials to the family. FUNERAL SERVICE Mon. 10 am, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2210 Harlan Drive, Interment Bellevue Cemetery. VISITATION Sun, 6-8 pm, Bellevue Memorial Chapel, 22nd & Hancock, Bellevue.
OMAHA WORLD-HERALD, Monday, March 29, 1999, by Erin Grace staff writer. "FAMILY GATHERS TO RECAL LIFE OF JOHN BELL. John Bell did not live to see his 21st birthday, but a week after his death in a fiery truck crash in Iowa, his family gathered to celebrate and remember. Bell, 20, of Bellevue, died March 18 when the truck he was driving went off the road, hit a bridge abutment and then burst into flames. Also killed was Brian Thomas, 23, of Omaha, a passenger. The accident occured about 100 miles east of Council Bluffs. The two wre delivering furniture and appliances for Nebraska Furniture Mart. Funeral services for Bell were held March 22 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Bellevue. The church, said his mother, Gail Bell, was packed that day (estimated at 500). On Friday, Bell's siblings and friends gathered at Fort Crook Billiards in Bellevue a favorite hangout, where a 21st birthday party for Bell previously was planned. "Everybody says that John always had a smile on his face," his mother said. "You would have thought he had no cares in the world - happy-go-lucky. But he was very sensitive." John Bell, whose father was in the military, was born in Bremerhaven, Germany. His family moved to Plano, Texas, before settling in Bellevue. Bell was the fourth of six children. Other survivors include his father, Dennis; sisters Mari Bell, Melinda Byers and Sarah Bell of Bellevue; brothers Robert Bell of Omaha and Tom Bell of Bellevue; and grandparents Clois and Helen Reppond of Alex, Okla."
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