Dorothy Lester Arends Bell
RONAN — Dorothy Frances Lester was born on Sept. 22, 1918, on the banks of the Missouri River in Watford City, N.D., the third of 12 children. Dorothy attended school in Watford City; she talked of riding horses to school and of her dad having a car when they were first invented.
In 1936 she married Luppo Arends, living both in North Dakota and Missoula before moving to the Ronan area. In 1949, Luppo died, leaving her with their four children.
In 1950, she married Julian Bell (J.B.) who also brought four children to the union. Dorothy and J.B. had three children while living on their farm in the Round Butte area. They lived on the farm until they bought their house in Pablo. J.B. died that December, 1975.
Dorothy loved cooking, gardening, sewing, quilting, rodeos, genealogy and horses. She was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and had enjoyed playing on the volley ball team and working on her ancestry.
She was really into arts and crafts. Everyone got her latest art or craft project as their Christmas presents. Dorothy once took a college class to learn Spanish; she didn't do too well but she had a good time. Her family loved the fact that she kept her sense of humor right up to the very end.
Our sweet mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt and friend, died peacefully on Aug. 23, 2006, surrounded by her family. She had been residing in the St. Luke Hospital Extended Care since 2003.
She was preceded in death by her two spouses, Luppo and J.B.; her parents, Donald and Bessie Lester, of Nampa, Idaho; siblings Leva Ellingson of Columbia Falls, Alva Buchanan of Spokane, Opal Raze of Whitefish, Claire Gunderson of Nampa, Velma Fristo of Missoula, Otis Lester of Nampa and Loyal Lester of Ravalli; grandchildren Doug Bell of Pablo, Sherrie Tichenor of Whitefish, Eddie Dubois of Kalispell, and great-grandchildren Roman Bell and Lester Couture.
Surviving siblings are Kittie Faye Paige of Boise, Glen Lester of Garden Valley, Idaho, Phyllis McClary of Elgin, Ore., and Eunice Yost of Denver.
Her children are Danny (Barb) Arends of The Dalles, Ore., Carol (Wayne) Tichenor of Whitehall, Dorothy Ann (Mark) McDonald of Charlo, Slim (Ingrid) Arends of Ronan, Bev (Ron) Roundy of Eagle River, Alaska, and twins Don (Valerie) Bell of Pablo and Donna (Brian) Corum of Ronan; step-children Gene Bell of Ronan, Connie (Ed) Kinsey of Helena, Bob (Linda) Bell of Ronan, and Betty Jo (Ed) DuBois of St. Ignatius.
She has 36 grandchildren and over 50 great-grandchildren.
The funeral service was held Aug. 26, 2006 at the LDS Church in Ronan.
Shrider-Thompson Funeral and Cremation Services of Ronan assisted with the arrangements.