Leanne Bell

Funeral service for Leanne Bell will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Monday, November 10, 2014 at the First United Methodist Church in Claremore. Pastor Brett Rogers will officiate. Burial will follow at Woodlawn Cemetery under the direction of the MMS-Payne Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Leanne passed away in her home, with loving family members by her side, on November 6, 2014 at the age of 61.

The daughter of Jack Lee and Anna Bernice Thomas Parker was born on November 4, 1953 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. As a young girl, Leanne was raised in rural Claremore. She began attending elementary school at Sageeyah, and then later transferred to Claremore Schools. While attending high school, she met the love of her life, Bill Bell and participated in many extra-curricular activities. She and a few friends even started a girls only rock-and-roll band called "The Great Dames." She graduated from Claremore High School in 1972. In 1974 she married her high school sweetheart, Bill Bell, in Westville, Oklahoma. They then began their lives together in the Claremore area. Leanne attended classes at Northeastern State University in Talequah, Oklahoma. She graduated in the late 1980's with a Bachelor’s Degree in Education. Leanne obtained her first teaching job at Verdigris, and one year later began her teaching career at Oolagah. She was an elementary teacher for a short period of time, but most of her years were spent as an eighth grade science teacher. Leanne retired from her teaching career in 2013 due to health reasons. Leanne was a very influential teacher and touched many lives. She was elected to receive an award for the Who's Who of American Teachers. Because of her dedication to her students and passion for education, many of her students went on to become teachers themselves. Some of her students even followed her passion of wanting to protect the wild wolf population. In her spare time, Leanne loved traveling with her girlfriends. She also enjoyed watching sci-fi movies with her niece, Courtney Chandler Malott. However, her true love was watching her son Matthew play sports. She watched him play all sports as a child, and after he became a coach, she still traveled all over the state to cheer him on. With her grandson Gabe stealing her heart, Leanne dearly treasured the time that she was able to spend assisting him with his homework, cheering him on in his sports, and being the most loving "Annie" that a grandson could ask for.

She is preceded in death by her parents Jack and Anna Bernice Parker.

Survivors include her husband Bill of the home; son, Matthew Bell of Claremore; grandson Gabe Bell of Claremore; sister, Lisa Chandler and husband Jeff of Springdale, Arkansas, and sister-in-laws, Margaret Young, Mary Burris, Marie Thomas, and Marsha Anderson.