Caryl Iona Bell

Caryl Iona Bell, 81, passed away October 16, 2025. She was born May 10, 1944, in Oceola, Iowa to Millard and Ruth Blake.

Caryl graduated from Sedan, Kansas High School and continued education at Coffeyville College and on October 29, 1963, she married the love of her life, James “Dude” Bell in Sperry Oklahoma. When Caryl was a child, she moved with her family from Iowa to Moline Kansas where her father started a limestone quarrying business. In the summers her family traveled to remote sites to quarry limestone and live in a small travel trailer with no bathroom or air conditioning. Her family later settled in Sedan Kansas. In high school she was a band member and played the clarinet and studied to continue her education.

When she first met Dude he was working for her father. He’d come to her house to see her father about work. Being 7 years younger than Dude she said she’d peak around the door and make eyes at him. She said it was love at first sight. When she married, they were doing the same thing her father did, traveling in a mobile home and working at remote sites in Kansas and Oklahoma. Soon after she became a mother and started raising her family.

In 1968 they moved to Nowata. They bought into a small quarrying business “Leco Materials” owning 50 percent, living in a mobile home with two boys. Shortly after they had their third son and this was their family. Her job was raising her boys and taking care of the household. In 1980 they purchased the other half of the business, and her life took a change instantly. They changed the name of the company to “Bellco Materials” she became the office manager of the company. With no experience, she hit the ground running to help run the business until the family sold out January 1st, 2008. She was a busy woman, a business to help run, family to raise, working many hours at home and at work. Work didn't stop at the office she spent many hours at home where her and Dude would discuss the work of the business when he came home. She had Sunday dinners with her family until she passed. When her sons started to work in the business, the dinners turned into family board meetings where they’d discuss the work for the upcoming week. Caryl kept the office side of the business in check while Dude and her boys worked in the field. Even later in life she’d help her boys with their business decisions. While the business grew to Five quarries, six asphalt plants, multiple construction crew and a fleet of trucks that worked all over Northeastern Oklahoma and Southeastern Kansas she kept up all requirements necessary to ensure the company ran smoothly. As the company grew, so did her family. In 1989 her first grandchild was born, then she entered a new chapter in life which she loved dearly, being a grandmother and a great grandmother. Sunday dinner grew to a size she had to enlarge her dining room. Caryl always found time for her grandchildren, sports, shopping trips or just a visit one on one.

Caryl and Dude always gave back to their community, sponsored many little league teams, to buying an ambulance for the local 10-33 service. As she loved her present family, she loved her family of the past, she had a passion for genealogy. After she retired, she loved going to bible study, singing in the Nowata Choir, La Kee Kon, and supported the local DHS Angel tree program and Nowata Historical Society. Most of all Caryl loved her family.

Caryl is preceded in death by her parents, Millard and Ruth, her husband James “Dude” Bell, one granddaughter, Mallory Bell, and one brother, Richard Blake.

Survivors include her sons, Jimmy Bell and Wife Lorie, Michael Bell, Brent Bell and his wife Lindsay, all of Nowata. Fourteen grandchildren, Blake Bell, Brook Farris, Lesley Riley, Joel Straw, Jackson Straw, Kaitlin Jorge, Garrett Bell, Ty Bell, Morgan Bell, Madison Kester, Meghan Abell, Bryce Bell, and Hunter Bell, Jase Johnson. Twenty great-grandchildren, Laylah Riley, Jameson Riley, Josiah Riley, Zelda Pearce, Emmy Farris, Madden Bell, Hattie Bell, Merritt Bell, Laikyn Bell, Henry Jorge, Kamden Hubbard, Kembry Hubbard, Easton Bell, Claire Kester, Connor Stroman, Chloe Kester, Charlotte Stroman, Autum Abell, Landon Abell, and Callista Abell.

A visitation for family and friends will be held Monday October 20, 2025, at the Bell Ranch car barn from 5:00 pm to 7:00p. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday October 21, 2025, at 2:00 pm, at the First Baptist Church of Nowata with Dr. Larry Delay officiating. Entombment services will be held at the Memorial Park Cemetery in Nowata immediately following the funeral. Services are under the direction of Benjamin Funeral Service of Nowata and online condolences may be left at www.honoringmemories.com.