Shirley A. Bell

Shirley A. Bell, 84, passed away due to natural causes at Northern Montana Hospital on November 17, 2016. Wake services were held at 8:00 p.m. on Friday, November 18, 2016, at her residence, and continued until she was moved to the Medicine Bear Senior Center at 12:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 20, 2016. Funeral services were held at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, November 21, 2016, at the Medicine Bear Senior Center. Burial followed in the Lodge Pole Cemetery. Holland & Bonine Funeral Home has been entrusted with arrangements. Please visit Shirley's online memorial page and leave a message of condolence for her family at http://www.hollandbonine.com.

Shirley was born on June 29, 1932, at Brookside in Lodge Pole, Montana. She was raised in Lodge Pole, attending school there. In 1948, Shirley married Mervin "Dallas" Walker, and the couple had 9 children. The family relocated a few times over the years before returning to Lodge Pole in 1972, and Dallas passed away in 1983. A few years later, Shirley married James "Hank" Bell. For many years, she worked as a nurse's aide for the Harlem Nursing Home, and supplemented her income with the occasional bartending job. In the late 1980's, Shirley retired, and she and Hank enjoyed traveling, especially to Pow Wows and to visit their Canadian relatives at the Lean Man Reserve and the Carry the Kettle Reserve. Hank passed away in 2009, and Shirley spent her last years playing BINGO and spoiling her cat, "Kitty", whom she adored.

Shirley was preceded in death by her first husband Dallas Walker; her second husband Hank Bell; her sons, Mervin "Buddy" Walker, Keith "Bam" Walker, Michael Walker, and Thomas "Tuby" Walker; her grandchildren, AnnaLee Wing and Thomas Walker, Jr .; her siblings Murphy Gunn, Katie Gunn, Dorothy Gunn, Louise Gunn, Sophia Healy, Lee Gunn, and Joe Gunn; her half-sister Almeda Gives; her niece Bernadine Healy; her nephew Larry Gunn; and her parents Eugene and Stella Gunn.

She is survived by her children, Delmar (Jackie Wing) Walker and Dale (Lorilane) Walker, all of Lodge Pole, Stella Walker of Havre, Shirlene Walker of Fort Belknap, and Eva (Brian Wing, Sr.) Walker of Lodge Pole; her stepdaughter, Ann Bell of Crow Agency; her 22 grandchildren; her 36 great-grandchildren; her 2 great-great-grandchildren; her niece Jolene Sears of Fort Belknap; and numerous cousins.

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