V. Jean Bell

Jean Bell, age 99, passed away on Wednesday, October 9th, in her home, 86 days short of her 100th birthday. Jean had been under the care of her grandson, Brandon Bell, and Hospice of Eastern Idaho.

Jean was born January 3, 1925, in Eaton, New York, to Cecile (Sellers) and Foster Tayntor. She had an older brother, Robert Tayntor, and a younger brother, Wayne Tayntor. Growing up on a dairy farm in Upstate New York was hard work, but it allowed her to nurture the inner tomboy passed down from her mother. She loved to ski in the hills and read everything she could get her hands on. Jean participated in many school activities, such as basketball and helping in the library. She graduated from Morrisville's (NY) high school, valedictorian, at seventeen. Jean studied Physical Education at Cortland State Teacher's College (Cortland, NY) until she was old enough to enlist in the army.

Jean completed boot camp at Ft. Des Moines, Iowa, and received additional basic training in Colorado. Slated next for nine months at Physical Therapy School, the army instead sent her to Memphis, Tennessee, for six weeks of basic physical therapy training, earning her the designation of Physical Therapist Tech. She was deployed directly from training to a hospital there, where she helped rehabilitate wounded soldiers. She continued this work when later transferred to Ft. Sheridan, Illinois. Jean was honorably discharged from the army on November 5, 1946, at the rank of corporal.

Following her service in the U.S. Army, Jean attended Syracuse University (Syracuse, NY), earning her bachelor's degree in nursing. During this time, she also met and married her husband, James E. Bell. They had two sons, Larry and Jimmy. The family moved to Ferndale, Maryland, where Jean began working as a Public Health Nurse in and around Annapolis (MD). Her professional reputation was of high caliber, and she was well-known and respected by many of the medical staff at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. She took courses in Special Education at the University of Maryland and eventually left nursing to work with children with autism and severe disabilities in the Maryland Public School System.

During the summer of 1968, the family moved to Idaho Falls, Idaho. Here, Jean worked briefly as a Public Health Nurse before serving children with autism and severe disabilities at The Child Development Center, followed by Hawthorne, York, and Longfellow elementary schools. She received a Master's in Special Education from Idaho State University (Pocatello, ID). Jean always fought hard for children with autism and severe disabilities, changing many lives for the better.

Jean was a lifelong Christian whose faith in Jesus was central to her life. She loved helping others and volunteering her time, including serving as a trained hospice volunteer with Good Samaritan Hospice from 1993 until closing in 2000. In Idaho Falls, she was an active member of the former First Baptist Church, serving in almost every church role over the years. She went on several mission trips, most notably to China and Nicaragua. She later attended St. Paul's United Methodist Church, where she was involved in the Stephen's Ministry program.

Jean enjoyed cross-country skiing, reading, word and number puzzles, and traveling. She and her husband, Jim, visited many foreign countries and almost every state in the U.S., including Hawaii and Alaska. Jean was a lover of all animals, a wonderful cook, a talented seamstress, a discerning and loving mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and friend.

Jean is survived by her son, Larry Bell (ID); son, Jimmy Bell (ID); brother, Wayne Tayntor (PA); daughter-in-law, Joan Bell (ID); 6 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and 6 great-great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim E. Bell; brother, Robert Tayntor (NY); daughter-in-law, Teri Bell (ID); sister-in-law, Elizabeth "Betty" Tayntor (NY); and sister-in-law Verdeta "Pete" Tayntor (PA).

There will be no services. A get-together for family and friends to celebrate Jean's life is planned for this coming summer.