Jimmy Ray Bell

Obituary

Jimmy Ray Bell

October 18, 1932- July 20, 2025

Jimmy Ray Bell, 92, passed away on July 20, 2025 at the Worland Healthcare and Rehabilitation Center in Worland, Wyoming.

Jim was born on the Dorn family ranch in Mitchell, Texas on October 18, 1932 to Homer Ray and Edna Christine (Dorn) Bell. He spent most of his younger life in Colorado City, Texas, spending a great deal of time on the ranch with his uncle, MP Dorn, Jr, who was only 16 days his junior. Jim enjoyed playing football, basketball and track during his high school career, graduating in 1951. He entered Texas A & M the same fall and graduated in 1955 with a Bachelor's degree in Range Management and Forestry.

In the summer of 1952 Iris Glen Roberts moved with her parents to Colorado City, Texas to be closer to her grandfather. While attending church with family Jim met Iris, and they started dating. That fall they attended College together and the following Christmas they were engaged. They were married on Aug 8, 1953 in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Four children were born to this union, William Ray in 1954, Martha Louise in 1955, Stephen Douglas in 1956 and Robert Scott in 1960.

In July 1955 Jim enlisted in the US Army. He was trained in Battlefield and Intelligence. And was assigned to the 23rd Engineer Battalion as Combat Intelligence Photographer. He later transferred to Division trains as a public information photographer as well as doing public information for the local newspapers, which he found very interesting. He returned to the States in the spring of 1957 returning to his emphasis with the US Department of Agriculture working in Soil Conservation in Brady and Brownwood, Texas. He was transferred to Worland in 1960, where he worked until being transferred to the Johnson Space Center for an assignment to be the technical leader for one of the eight projects in a program called Agriculture and Resource Inventory Surveys through Aerospace Remote Sensing (AgRISTARS). Jim, Iris and Bob returned to Worland in the spring of 1994. Following Bob's death in 1999, Jim, Iris and Steve purchased property in Canyon Creek where they built a cabin they enjoyed immensely.

Jim was blessed by great support from members of his church and will be missed by family and friends.

Jim was preceded in death by his parents; wife, Iris; son, Robert Bell; great-granddaughter, Isabell Jean Bell and grandson, Steve W. Apodaca, brothers: Raymond and Danny Bell and sister, Janelle.

He is survived by his children, William Bell of Worland, Martha (Roger) Lawley of Worland and Stephen Bell of Gillette; sister, Shirley Comstock of Dennision, Texas, 7 grandchildren, Buckey (Kari) Bell, Seinna Bell, Christine Houser, Stevie Bell, Joe Bell, Amber (Keith) Rutsey, Katie (Nate) Schmeltzer, Taylor (Cayley) Lawley, 15 great-grandchildren and 4 great great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held 10:00 AM, Friday, July 25, 2025 at the Bryant Funeral Home Chapel in Worland, Wyoming with Mahlon Anderson officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Memorial Gardens Cemetery. Memorial donations may be made to the Big Horn Independent Baptist Church Foreign Missions Fund. Please send checks to PO Box 524 Worland, Wyoming 82401. Online condolences may be made at www.bryantfuneralhomeonline.com.