October 25, 1938 – November 4, 2019
Robert Ristine “Doc” Bell was born October 25th, 1938 and raised in Seattle, Washington. Born to Merrill and Eulalee Bell, he lived with his mother after his parents divorced. Both parents went on to marry again and from those marriages Bob gained two brothers, Pete and Steve and one sister, Victoria from his mother’s side and one sister, Diane, from his father’s side. Robert attended Isaquah High School where he met the love of his life, Helen Toni “Ma” Bell. They married after graduating in 1957 and recently celebrated their 62nd wedding anniversary.
Robert and Helen began their small family in 1958 with the birth of their first son, Gard and moved to eastern Montana, settling in Culbertson in the early 1960s. They welcomed three more children; one daughter, Kelly, and two more sons, Brad and Bob by 1967. Robert graduated from veterinary school in 1963 and practiced large animal veterinary medicine. “Doc” retired from active practice before moving to Williston, North Dakota in the 1990s but remained an active member of the American Veterinary Medical Association as well as Montana Veterinary Medical Association his whole life. “Doc” was a lover of all animals, but his heart was with his Percheron horses, Rose and Polly, and his black lab, Bear. Rose and Bear have since passed and I am sure they were there to welcome Dad on the other side. While in Williston, North Dakota, Robert was an instructor for hazardous materials for over 10 years and continued working in fire and emergency services throughout his time in Williston, North Dakota.
Robert was in the Kellogg Extension Education Project and was one of the first Americans of a non-political organization to set foot in China after many years of Americans not being allowed there. He was afraid to fly, but this was one opportunity that he would not miss. Robert was a man of many accomplishments, a member of many organizations and a board member on many but the most important ones were those that promoted his passion for fighting fires such as the Montana Fire Chiefs Association, Montana Alberta Firefighters Association, and the Northern Plains Resource Council.
The one thing that was always his passion was fighting fires and conservation of our natural resources. Robert was an active member of fire and emergency services for over 60 years. Beginning his lifelong passion during college in Albion, Washington. He began as a volunteer firefighter and continued to work with fire and emergency services throughout his life as a firefighter and served as training officer, chief, and assistant chief. He was the Fire Chief in Culbertson as well as having served the department for over 20 years. Eventually Dad and Ma began their own business as fire water tenders, with FireWater Transport. Dad always wished to pass the business on to his own children but he realized as he got older that that may not happen so he decided to wish them the passion to love anything that much. He was happy that they had all indeed found a passion; Gard in trucking, Kelly and Brad in healthcare and Bob in music. Kelly, Brad and Bob also share a love of cooking and baking and this was another of Dad’s loves, not preparing it, but eating it!
Robert is survived by his loving wife and best friend, Toni, his four children: Gard (Nancy) Bell of Billings, Montana, Kelly (Dale) Anderson of Seattle Washington, Brad (Tina) Bell and Bob (Minnie) Bell of Shepherd, Montana. Robert was blessed with six grandchildren, Levi, Emily, Megan, Stephen, Danny and Lynn. And he was beyond blessed with seven great-grandchildren: Logan, Callen, Elliot, Dion, Evan, Lea, and Kodi.