Mary Juanita Bell, 91, of Mechanicsville, MD passed away peacefully at her home on July 15, 2019.
Juanita was born on October 4, 1927 in Washington, D.C. to the late William Edward Caton and Mary Edna Carroll Caton. She was one of nine children.
Juanita met her best friend and life partner, Lemuel Duey Bell over seventy-three years ago. They celebrated their anniversary on December 21st each year. Juanita lost her husband on May 17, 2015 and continued to celebrate their anniversary as if he still stood beside her. She may have only had sixty-eight (68) years with her forever love physically, but if you asked her she’d been married for over seventy-two (72) years. He was her rock, her heart and her love.
She was adored and loved by her family and community. Juanita spent her younger years taking care of her family. She was a wonderful cook who was always available to through together a family dinner. If you sat at her table you knew you would be loved, fed and blessed if you got to eat her famous “potato dish”. Mee-Maw made her grandchildren and her “bonus grandchildren” feel special when she watched them during the summer. She felt pride in the fact that she was always more than a daycare she was a safe place where kids loved to go. She was a dutiful wife, mother, sister, grandmother and great-grandmother.
Juanita found joy in crocheting and gifted all the new babies with their own heirloom afghan’s for them to pass down for generations to come. As her eyesight failed Juanita enjoyed listening to audio books and her favorite author was Karen Kingsbury. As her senses heighted she favored the smell of fresh flowers and good food.
To know Juanita was to know a kind, loving soul. She will be missed and memories of her inherent joy will last a lifetime for her family. Her passing is hard, but her family is taking solace in knowing she is with her beloved husband, parents, brothers, sisters, brothers-in-law and sister’s-in-law in her golden palace in the glorious heavens.
Juanita is survived by her children, Mary Frances Payne (Ronald) of Mechanicsville MD, Lemuel Moran Bell (Colleen) of Waldorf, MD, Douglas Edward Bell of Midland, NC, Lillian Olivia Jamison (Archie) of Charlotte Hall, MD, David Allen Bell (Barbara) of Mechanicsville, MD, and eleven (11) grandchildren; twenty-three (23) great-grandchildren and numerous nieces, nephews and extended family. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and all of her siblings and siblings-in-law.
The family will receive friends for Juanita’s Visitation on Wednesday, July 24, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. with a Funeral Service heard at 11:00 a.m. at Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., 30195 Three Notch Road, Charlotte Hall, MD 20622, by Pastor Chris Whetlor. Interment will follow immediately at Cedar Hill Cemetery, 4111 Pennsylvania Avenue, Suitland, MD 20746.
Condolences to the family may be made at www.brinsfieldfuneral.com
Arrangements by the Brinsfield Funeral Home & Crematory, P.A., Charlotte Hall, MD.
