Dick Bell
Born: May 27, 1922Died: June 23, 2011Age at death: 89
Buster’s brother
U.S. Merchant Marine · WWII
Click here to view 14 archive itemsOur Family Tree
Choose a family member to open their personal page of photographs, documents, and memories.
Buster Bell
Born: September 3, 1920Died: April 2, 1990Age at death: 69Cause of death: Cancer
Family patriarch
WWII Marine · Pacific Fleet
Machine gunner & mortar gunner
Machine gunner & mortar gunner
5 archive items
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MarriedApril 23, 1951
Alma Bell
Born: March 4, 1927Died: May 18, 1994Age at death: 67Cause of death: Cancer
Family matriarch
Civil Air Patrol
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
5 archive items
Spooky Bell Family
Dickey Bell Family
Dickey Bell
Born: August 15, 1956Died: July 1, 2026Age at death: 69Cause of death: Cancer
Son of Buster & Alma
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MarriedAugust 7, 1994
Sonja Bell
Born: December 20, 1959
Dickey’s wife
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Former marriage
Debbie Phillips
Born: July 17, 1956Died: October 21, 2014Age at death: 58Cause of death: Cancer
Dickey’s ex-wife
Rickey’s mother
Rickey’s mother
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Married
Irvin Phillips
Born: October 23, 1961Died: May 2, 2015Age at death: 53Cause of death: Cardiac
Debbie’s husband
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Dickey Bell + Debbie Phillips — parents of Rickey Bell
Rickey Bell
Born: March 6, 1975
Son of Dickey & Debbie
U.S. Army
U.S. Army
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MarriedDecember 31, 1993
Stephanie Bell
Born: December 6, 1974
Rickey’s wife
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Samatha Bell
Born: July 28, 1995
Daughter of Rickey & Stephanie
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Sophia Bell
Born: November 21, 2016
Samatha’s daughter
4 archive items
More Branches
Extended Family
A place for aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives connected to the Bell family story.
Rachel Bell
Born: March 31, 1925Died: July 29, 1997Age at death: 72
Alma’s sister
Click here to view 12 archive items
Johnny Tharp
Born: February 9, 1933Died: December 9, 1997Age at death: 64
Rachel & Alma’s brother
Marine Corps Heli Pilot
Korean & Vietnam Wars
Silver Star winner
Everate Faulkenberry
Born: December 19, 1934Died: November 2, 2004Age at death: 69
Cause of death: Respiratory complications after cardiac surgery
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Peggy Elliot Faulkenberry
Born: October 18, 1937
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Lisa Faulkenberry Steen
Born: July 30, 1966
Everate & Peggy’s daughter
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Macey Steen Payne
Born: August 21, 1994
Lisa’s daughter
Click here to view 7 archive items
Tony Neely
Born: December 20, 1966
Donna Brown’s brother
Click here to view 5 archive itemsPart of the Story
Family Friends
A place for close friends whose lives and memories are woven into the family archive.
Mike Morgan
Born: May 3, 1974
Rickey’s oldest friend
U.S. Army
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Teri Wallace Harrison
Born: February 1, 1975
Stephanie’s oldest friend
Click here to view 10 archive items
Mickey Morgan
Born: November 24, 1975
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Andrew Morgan
Born: March 28, 1995
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Katie Morgan
Born: November 7, 1984
Andrew’s wife
Teresa Cooper Justice
Born: February 20, 1975Died: January 9, 2025Age at death: 49
Cause of death: Cancer
Click here to view 9 archive items
Carla Pittman Lilly
Born: November 13, 1974
Click here to view 8 archive items
Karen Gaskin
Born: August 5, 1974
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Beloved Companions
Family Pets
A place to remember the animals who have been loved as part of the family.
Aria
Found: Mid-2023Status: Living
Aria wandered up to Confederate Avenue.
Her family nickname is “Crack Head” because she is always wildly energetic, as if she is on meth.
Lady
Found: March 9, 2013Status: Living
Found at the Confederate home while running from a cat that had attacked her.
Although timid around cats, Lady thinks she is a guard dog.
Gabby
Years: About 2012–June 2025
Debbie’s dog, bought from a breeder.
Gabby was exceedingly loving and scared of everything. She did not have the usual Chihuahua attitude.
Cause of death: Advanced age
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Midnight
Years: About 2010–November 14, 2020
Obtained at Derrick Joyner’s home after the homeowner died.
Midnight had been kept in an 8-by-8 kennel and used only for breeding.
Cause of death: Cancer
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Tanisha
Years: About 2000–June 17, 2011
Purchased at a pet store.
She became overweight after being spayed. You could not keep her away from water—she would swim out forever, then come back.
Cause of death: Congestive heart failure related to prior heartworms
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Patsy Cline’s Angel
Years: About 1986–1996
Bought from a breeder.
Patsy was gentle until someone said, “Give me that bone,” and then she became an unleashed tiger. Randy Snipes used to tease her over a bone, and she drew blood many times.
Suade
Years: About 1980–1990
Found in High Point, North Carolina.
No one believes that she jumped over Rickey’s head while he was standing upright at about 10 years old, but Dickey witnessed it! She went missing around 1990.
Blaze
Years: Early 2000s
Blaze was Dad and Sonja’s dog.
Click here to view 3 archive itemsIn Honor and Memory
Fallen First Responders
Remembering first responders whose service and lives remain part of the family archive.
Jamie “Tater” Wilson
Born: March 16, 1980Died: December 30, 2006Age at death: 26
Cause of death: Service-related suicide
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Will Fersner
Born: May 20, 1981Died: April 23, 2013Age at death: 31
Cause of death: Service-related suicide
U.S. Army · Iraq War
During paramedic school, Will was nicknamed “Camel Jockey” after sharing a photograph of himself riding a donkey in Iraq while wearing a full combat loadout.
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Larry Shuler
Born: February 25, 1966Died: September 3, 2013Age at death: 47
Cause of death: Service-related suicide
U.S. Marine
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Tammy Sims
Born: April 21, 1971Died: June 2, 2017Age at death: 46
Official cause of death: Service-related suicide
Many people who knew Tammy have questioned the official finding surrounding her death.
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Jason Hoke
Born: January 5, 1984Died: September 30, 2017Age at death: 33
Cause of death: Service-related suicide
Jason had his demons to fight, but he was a gentle giant, and his son, J Jr., was his world.
Click here to view 27 archive itemsGrowing Archive
This family tree is the starting point. As more relatives are added, each person can have their own page and can be linked to multiple photographs, documents, stories, places, and events.