[Dialogue] Fwd: James Bell (His Happiness)

Sat Sep 1 07:34:18 PDT 2012

I knew Jim and his family for many years.  My dad had the parish just outside the Blackfoot reservation.  He and Jim were colleagues in mission and also hunting buddies.  I'm attaching family photos from my collection of those days in Montana.  The first shows the Bell family at Luccock Park camp near Livingston Montana.  The photo was taken in the summer of 1965 or 1966.  This camp was the Methodist Church's summer camp and retreat center.  In the summer of 1966, the Yellowstone Conference of the Methodist church invited the Ecumenical Institute to come to Montana and do a week-long program with all of the pastors from the conference.  Joe Mathews, Joe Slicker and a number of other people from EI:Chicago came out to Montana that summer and did an extended PLC.  My parents were there with the Bells and were profoundly affected by the program.  It was a rough week at first and created a division in the conference between people who got the message and others who couldn't get past the offense.  
At one point a rebellion was formed in the dining hall at dinner.  People were tired of singing the "Songs of the Ecumenical Institute" all the time and started a counter revolution by singing "Harvest Time"  - the Brother Van Song.  My Mother, Grace Druckenmiller stood up at dinner and started singing "The seed I have scattered at springtime with weeping"  and the Bells and others joined in.  This evidently delighted Mathews, who after the last of the song had finished said, "Sing it again!"  And so the song made it into the movement.  Jim and family's decision to leave Montana and join the global movement meant that the song had its chief champion and singer.  He loved that song and we sang it at my father's funeral, led by Jim who was the presiding pastor.  My father died in 1968 of cancer and for me Jim was always there  as a colleague, friend and father.
The second photo is one of dad and Jim just before one of their famed hunting expeditions.  Our families were close and I have many fond memories of Jim, he had a profound impact on me and my family and I miss him.
"Yes, the tears of the sower and the songs of the reaper shall mingle together in joy by and by"
Doug Druckenmiller

To: Dialogue at wedgeblade.net
From: facilitationfla at aol.com
Date: Fri, 31 Aug 2012 16:48:41 -0400
Subject: [Dialogue] Fwd: James Bell (His Happiness)

 Forwared by Cynthia Vance

-----Original Message-----

From: Ackroeger <Ackroeger at aol.com>

To: FacilitationFla <FacilitationFla at aol.com>

Cc: JimBell <JimBell at XMission.com>

Sent: Thu, Aug 30, 2012 8:56 am

Subject: James Bell (His Happiness)

Bob and Cynthia:

I just received word from Jim Ed Bell that his dad, Jim Bell, died 
last night. He will be sending me information on arrangements, but in the 
meantime I know you keep up with the OE/ICA dialogue group and ask that you 
notify that list serv, please.

Jim Ed said I could pass on his contact information. He and his 
family are on route to Texas.  Thank you.

James and Xiomara Bell

4605 South 600 East

Murray   UT  84107

801-685-6145

email: JimBell at XMission.com 

Amelia 
Kroeger

952-476-6126

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