Sussex-Southampton County Virginia USGenWeb Archives Obituaries.....Bell, Walter A., 1955 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/vafiles.htm ************************************************ WALTER A. BELL Funeral services for Walter A. Bell, 38, who died Saturday in a Richmond hospital, were held at High Hills Baptist Church near Jarratt on Monday afternoon with interment in the church cemetery. He was the son of the late Mrs. Mathias Bell and spent most of his childhood in New Bern, NC and in Dendron, moving to Jarratt in 1938. He was a former member of Centenary Methodist Church, but several months ago joined High Hills Baptist Church. He was formerly employed at Johns-Mansfield, at Temple Motor Sales Co., and later in the garage business. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Alma Harrell Bell; two sons, Jerry and Bonnie Bell of Jarratt; his father and step-mother Mr. and Mrs. B.T. Bell of Wakefield; one brother, John Marion Bell of Newport News; two sisters, Mrs. Lester Rawlings of Waverly; Mrs. T.O. Simmons, Sr. of Jarratt. Also a step- brother, T.E. Reese of Wakefield; four step-sisters Mrs. Milton Shufelt of Richmond, Mrs. E.O. Whitmore, Miss Annie Reese, all of Jarratt; and his foster mother, Mrs. Minnie Smith of New Bern, N.C. Officiating at the service were the Rev. Meredith K. Robinson of Richmond, and the Rev. Paul C. Mattox of Oxford, N.C. former pastors of High Hills Baptist Church in Jarrett; the Rev. W.W. Parrish of Waverly, and the Rev. B.T. Leonard, pastor of Centenary Methodist Church in Jarrett. Active pallbearers were: Landon S. Temple, R.M. Temple, P.H. Dale, Beverly Neal, H.L. Wheeler, Jr., Byrtice Barnes, T.O. Simmons, Jr., John Wesley Poole. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Men’s Bible Class of High Hills Church and other friends. Walter Arrington BELL, of Jarratt, mechanic, b. 25 Aug 1918, Sebrell*, d. 4 Jun 1955, Chesterfield Co., interred in High Hills Baptist Church Cemetery*, near Jarratt, 6 Jun 1955, "The Progress-Index," (Petersburg, VA), June 22, 1955 *Additional information: An obit also appeared in "The Daily Press," June 6, 1955. Find a Grave Mem. #62492401 shows wrong gravestone (Jul 2020). Birthdate &c. from D.Cert. 13774 (Manchester #146), which states he was burned on 70% of his body in an explosion while welding at the shop, Sussex Co., 30 May 1955. He m. Alma Winfred HARRELL 6 Jul 1940, in Jarratt. M.Cert. 39562 gives both b. Sussex Co. Alma 2m. widower Marshall Hogue FERGUSON, 2 Oct 1960. They are also buried in High Hills Baptist Church Cemetery, as are Marshall's third wife and her first husband. His parents & paternal grandparents are buried in a BELL family cemetery, "Elm Grove," on Cabin Pond Rd, just off Plank Rd. Southampton County Historical Society {SCHS} Cemetery Project, Miscellaneous Cemeteries, Vol. 4 (IV-47): http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/cemeteries/miscvol4.txt The obit ("Tidewater News," Feb. 14, 1957) for his father, Benjamin Thomas "Tom" BELL is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b400b1ob.txt The obit ("Tidewater News," Jan. 10, 1919, p. 6) for his mother, Willie Sarah (MATTHIAS) BELL is posted at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/southampton/obits/b400w2ob.txt His step-mother, Louise May (SIMMONS REESE) BELL, is buried with her first husband in the SEBRELL-SIMONS Cemetery, Sebrell - Plot 25. SCHS Cemetery Project, Miscellaneous Cemeteries, Vol. 4 (IV-12). Note: He was put in a foster home in New Bern, NC where he grew up. He visited his father and step-mother in Dendron sometimes in the summers during his growing up years, but don’t believe he ever lived there. (toh) Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Mrs. Bruce Saunders (bs4403@verizon.net), and re-formatted by File Manager Matt Harris. file at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/sussex/obits/b400w20o.txt