Bell reunion held in Robert Lee, May 21-24, 2002 - Coke County, TX Contributed by Mary Love Berryman 18 July 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm *********************************************************************** All documents placed in the USGenWeb Archives remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities so long as all notices and submitter information is included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. *********************************************************************** The Observer/Enterprise, 31 May 2002, Robert Lee, TX Bell reunion held in Robert Lee Eleven of the nineteen grandchildren of Judge W. H. Bell and Elizabeth Bell held a cousins reunion in Robert Lee last week (May 21-24, 2002). They were sons and daughters of four of the nine daughters of Will and Lizzie: Ruby Bell Sturman, Opal Bell Brown, Alta Bell Bilbo, Ruth Bell Denman. Other Bell daughters are Jodie Lowry, Willie Clark, Jeffie Williamson, Lois Landers, and Robbie Turner. The eleven cousins present for the reunion were: Jack Sturman of Tulia; Bill Sturman of Riverside, CA; Frank Sturman of Boise, ID; Floydene Groves of Mesilla, NM; Janie Beth Sturman of Thousand Palms, CA; Gwendolyn Scherz of San Angelo; Alta Bell Kay of Alpine; Jamie Boren of Robert Lee; Janet Rathrnel of Mertzon; Bill Rial Denman of Medina; and Charlotte Prickett of Lewisville. Also attending were Mary Denman of Medina; Bob Prickett of Lewisville; Karen McClure of Springer; NM (daughter of Floydene): and Ava Lou Davis of Robert Lee. Four of the coursins were unable to attend: Joyce Hope Brown Jarmon of Corpus Christi; Carleen Clark Craddock of Medina; Tommy Denman of San Jose, CA and Jo Ann Bilbo Littlefield of Grove, OK. Four of the nineteen grandchildren are deceased: Marjorie Brown Lewis, Robert Lowry, Craig Landers, and Peggy Bilbo Gilmore. The occasion of the reunion was the results of the two Sturman brothers and two Sturman sisters going to Tulia to celebrate the 80th birthday of their brother Jack Sturman. Activities of the reunion included the Denman and Sturman cousins sightseeing at the Coke County Courthouse, Grammy's Creek (Mountain Creek), viewing the site of Grammy and Papa Bell's house (the present home of Joe and Kathy Brasher), Lake Spence, First Methodist Church and the Robert Lee Cemetery. Wednesday night all the cousins convened at the Cracker Barrel Restaurant for supper, visiting, and picture taking. The Sturmans were raised in Elida, New Mexico and some of the New Mexico and Texas cousins had not seen each other for over fifty years. The Sturmans visited their grandparents nearly every summer when they were growing up. Jack Sturman was a frequent visitor to Robert Lee during World War II when he was stationed at Camp Barkley in Abilene. A highlight for the Sturman and Denman cousins was visiting with their only surviving aunt, Robbie Turner of San Angelo. She now resides at the Meadow Creek Nursing Center. All in all, it was a joyful time for the Bell coursins and Aunt Robbie. Permission granted by the Observer/Enterprise for publication in the Coke County TXGenWeb Archives.