Obituary

On May 10, 1935, in Tulsa, Oklahoma a beautiful baby girl was born to Ella Florence Hayes and Gene Johnson. The name chosen for this baby girl was Ella Jean Johnson named after her mother. Ella was the youngest of 10 children who were named Edward, Joe, Willie, Lewis, David, Francis, Betty, Louise, and Beatrice Hayes. Ella became a big sister to her niece Edwina Jones Wells who was raised by her grandmother, Ella Florence.

Ell attended Tulsa Public Schools and accepted Christ at an early age. Ella became a single parent to 8 children Willie, Joyce, Loretta, Mark Sr., Reece, Raymond, Vanessa, TaMika, and 2 granddaughters TaWanda White Anderson and Rhonda Adams Laflore who she helped raise. Ella lived in Denver, Colorado and Wichita, Kansas before making her permanent residence here in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

She later joined Friendship Baptist Church under the late Rev. L.L. Tisdale. She worked in the church kitchen and became known for her famous pumpkin and banana nut bread. She also worked in the Nurses Guild, using her beautiful voice in the Mass Choir and Prison Ministry as a volunteer.

After some time, she joined Good Shepard Missionary Church under Rev. E. Tottress, but it wouldn’t be long before she rejoined Friendship Church and attended regularly until her health began to fail but, she never missed a Sunday Morning, watching it on TV and praising the Lord from home.

Ella worked as a private housekeeper and nanny for over 30 plus years, helping raise 7 children whom she loved like her own grandchildren. Ella had a passion for helping people and she didn’t mind getting up in the middle of the night or the wee hours of the morning to pray for you. She was a praying woman that we all called on when we needed her.

Ella never let her children see her struggle, as she always made a way out of no way, to make sure her family never went without. There were times when she made a meal out of nothing and it fed her children, grandchildren, and anyone who stopped by that day. She would give up her last to help someone out and never expecting anything back in return. She was just that type of person, someone very special.

There were many family members waiting on her arrival to Heaven’s Gates. Her children Willie White, Mark Bell, Sr., Herman Bell and Sherry Currin. Her mother Ella Hayes, father Gene Johnson, maternal and paternal grandparents, siblings Edward, Joe, Lewis, David, Francis, Betty, Louise, Beatrice Hayes, niece/sister Edwina Wells, Bobby and Genie Johnson, grandchildren Demarco Younger, Raveghyn Bell, Marquise Barnett, Tracy Harris, Jason White, Kendrick Pearson, Juan Lewis and David Knighten, Karen Summers.

She leaves behind her children Joyce (Joe) Sheets, Loretta Younger, Lois Reece, Raymond (Velma), Vanessa and TaMika Bell, her 2 granddaughters that she helped raise Rhonda (Hiawattha) Leflore and TaWanda (Deon) Anderson, Raymond Allen Sr., and Kim Beard, 37 grandchildren, 132 great-grandchildren, 91 great great grandchildren, 2 great great great grandchildren and a host of grandchildren that she became grandma to over the years. Also, nieces and nephews that she loved like her own, a God daughter and name sake Ella Jean Burkhalter and the entire Wells Family (her nieces and nephews) and her sister in Christ, Mother Marion Walls.

Visitation for Ms. Bell will be held on Sunday, February 23, 2:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., at Butler-Stumpff & Dyer Funeral Home, 2103 E. 3rd St., Tulsa, OK 74104.

Funeral services will be held on Monday, February 24, 12:00 p.m., at Friendship Church, 1709 N. Madison Ave., Tulsa, OK 74106.