Jacob Benton Bell

He was born on February 12th 1916, in Coon Rapids, Iowa. He was the fifth child born to Jacob Benton Bell and Teana May (VanAiken) Bell. He was born again at the age of 22. He attended the Fundamental Bible Institute of Los Angeles, Missionary Medical Institute of Toronto, Canada, and Wycliffe Bible Institute, in Omaha, Nebraska in preparation for the mission field. He served the LORD on the mission field of what was then the Belgian Congo, Africa 1948-1959. For the next 40 years he pastored 8 different churches in California, Washington, Nevada, and Idaho. After retirement, Benton and his wife served as caretakers at Whaler’s Cove Condominium Complex from 2000-2004. They lived with their daughter Beverly for eight years, before they moved into Stafford Suites Assisted Living Facility in Kent, Washington, in 2012.

Benton is survived by Katharine (Mueller) Bell, his wife of nearly 70 years; his daughter Grace Dean of Redding, California; son, Stephen (Ruth Ann) Bell of Kanye, Botswana, Africa; daughter Beverly (James) Hanson, Bellevue, Washington; son Dale (Amy) Bell, Hampton, Virginia; 15 grandchildren; 30 great-grandchildren; and 3 great-great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his son David Bell, of Jerome, Idaho.

The family would like to say a special thank you to Chris and Martha Best, and their family from Nampa, Idaho for their years of loving Christian friendship. The family would also like to thank the staff at Stafford Suites Kent for their loving care of Benton Bell during his stay there, and to the churches that ministered to him and his wife during their later years, First Baptist Church of Quincy, First Baptist Church of Bellevue, and Galilee Baptist Church in Kent, Washington.

In lieu of flowers the family requests that donations be made to:

Baptist Mid-Mission Foundation

In Memory of J. Benton Bell

P.O. Box 308011

Cleveland, Ohio

44130-8011

(440) 826-3930

Visitation will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home on Wednesday, December 4, 2013 from 4:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. Funeral services will be held at Keith & Keith Funeral Home on Thursday, December 5, 2013 at 12:00 p.m. Concluding services and burial will follow at Terrace Heights Memorial Park To celebrate the life of Benton and share a memory visit www.keithandkeith.com