Maxine M. Bell, 91, died on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Her funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, May 15, 2017 at the First United Methodist Church in Cherokee, Oklahoma. Interment will follow at the Cherokee Cemetery. Maxine will be available for public viewing beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Monday, May 15, at the First United Methodist Church in Cherokee. Strode Funeral home, Stillwater, Oklahoma is in charge of the arrangements.
Maxine was born on October 3, 1925 to Claude and Dora (Nelson) Hickman in Dacoma, Oklahoma. She attended rural schools at Keystone and Pleasant Hill elementary and Lambert High School where she graduated in May 1943. After graduation she attended college at Oklahoma A&M and Northwestern State.
She married Alvin E. Bell on November 17, 1946. They were married at the E.U.B. Church in Dacoma, Oklahoma where Maxine was an active member, doing work in the children’s department.
After their marriage Alvin and Maxine lived on a farm west of Cherokee farming and raising cattle in the Cherokee, Carmen and Burlington areas and to this union three daughters were born Claudia, Susan and Deborah.
She taught school in Alfalfa and Woods Counties. Maxine always enjoyed being and doing for her family, friends, church and community. She was active in Home Demonstration Club, serving as an officer at the local, county and state levels.
The family attended the First United Methodist Church of Cherokee, where she was a member and held many positions serving her Lord and Maker. She assisted 4-H Club members, Methodist Youth Fellowship, children’s choir and was a Sunday school teacher for many years.
Moving to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1985, she became active in community affairs and enjoyed teaching at Christian church preschool, Kid’s Village where she enjoyed her friends and her students loved her fun stories. Maxine had years of retail experience at Rothschilds, Fitzhughs and 50 Penn Pendleton.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Alvin 1981; son-in-law, Jack Brown; her parents and two brothers.
She is survived by her three daughters, Claudia Blake and husband Ross of Arlington, TX; Susan Bell and husband Ron McMorris of Steamboat Springs, CO; and Debbie Bell Brown of Oklahoma City, OK; one grandson Kimmel Alexander Brown of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma among many more relatives and friends.
Memorial contributions may be made in Maxine’s name to the Cherokee United Methodist Women, 400 W. Grand, Cherokee, OK 73728.
Condolences may be emailed to the family and an online obituary may be viewed by visiting www.strodefh.com.