Chapter 2, Family History 1958 through 2001.
First Family Home, 1940
Sanders and Rubye built their first home in 1940 on a lot at the north end of Davis Avenue (1000 Davis Avenue) and across the street and just west of the Robert J. Vanlandingham home in Inverness. The house was finished in time for the family to move in by Christmas of that year.
The house contained an entrance hall just inside the front door, a living room featuring a very attractive bay window, a dining room, a kitchen complete with a small dining area of its own, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a small back porch. As the family grew, the back porch was converted into another bedroom. The house had three entrances: one at the front of the house with a concrete sidewalk from the door to the street, one entrance from the garage, and an entrance at the back of the house.
At the rear of the house, Sanders built a patio and a brick barbecue pit. In the yard, he constructed a concrete wading pool for the children. Later, after the children had outgrown the wading pool, it became a goldfish pool complete with beautiful water lilies.
The Bells made the grounds around the house very attractive. The setting itself was picturesque. Behind the house, the yard sloped gently toward the north and northwest down to Mound Bayou where there were large oak and cypress trees. The Bells added magnolia and other trees. The house was landscaped with evergreen shrubs. In addition, a large collection of bearded iris, daylilies, and other flowering perennials was maintained in beds near the borders of the yard. There was a low privet hedge across the front between the yard from the street.
The Bell family occupied the house for 11 years, from late 1940 through late 1951. They liked the house, but by 1951, the family of eight persons had outgrown the house. In 1951, Sanders built another home for his family and sold this one to Mrs. Eta Bradford. Mrs. Bradford owned and occupied the house for the next 23 years.
When the great tornado of February 1971 came, miraculously the well-constructed home was spared even though it stood very close to the path of the destructive storm. In contrast, the large Methodist Church that was located across the street from the house was virtually destroyed.
In 1974, a nephew of Sanders and Rubye, Charles Ed Williams, purchased the home from the Bradford family. Even in 1974, much of the original beauty and charm was still there. Mrs. Eta Bradford had given the home good care. The original brick barbecue pit and patio that Sanders had built were still there. In the yard, the goldfish pool was still in good condition. The yard contained a beautiful, large magnolia tree on the north side of the house, other trees, and beds of daylilies and other flowers. In short, through the years much of the beauty of the property had been preserved and enhanced.
As of January 2002, Charles Ed Williams (born Oct 14 1943) still owns and lives in the house. He has remodeled and added to the house. It's beauty and value have been enhanced, and the property remains one of the most attractive homes in the community.
Note: Charles Ed Williams passed away on Aug 15 2002.
Second Family Home, 1951
By 1950, the Bell family had outgrown their home. There were two children in each of the two children's bedrooms and two children sharing the back porch which had been converted into a small bedroom.
In 1950 Sanders purchased a large lot in the relatively new Montgomery Drive sub-division. Sanders and Rubye had seen a house they they liked in Rome, Mississippi. The owners of the house, Mr. and Mrs. Roy Waldrup, were pleased that Dr. and Mrs. Bell liked the house and welcomed them to look inside. Sanders fashioned his house somewhat after the house in Rome, but there were many changes.
Plans were drawn and changes made. By July 1951, a basement was dug work began on the new house. Inverness Lumber Company supplied the building materials, and Wood Construction Company, with Mr. Dick Wood in charge, built the house. Work continued for six months and the house was finished by Christmas of that year. The family moved into the house shortly after Christmas.
The new house was much larger and roomier than the former one. The house contained a large living room, sun parlor (den), dining room, kitchen, breakfast room, six bedrooms, three bathrooms, and a large finished basement. The house was 1 1/2 stories and two of the bedrooms and one of the bathrooms was located upstairs.
The new house contained several special features. Just inside the front door, there was a coat closet on one side and a quilt closet on the other side of the foyer. The breakfast room had a broom closet and an ironing board that was hidden within the wall. The upstairs bathroom featured a shower and both downstairs bathrooms were tile and had tubs. There was plenty of storage in the two downstairs bathrooms and one bathroom had a special built-in laundry hamper. The heating and air-conditioning equipment was in the basement and there was a well in the basement to supply water needed by the air-conditioning unit.
The large kitchen was rather special. There was plenty of cabinet and counter space, an automatic dishwasher, and built-in stove complete with a venting hood above it to vent cooking smoke and odors. The kitchen had its own hot water heater and adequate space for a roomy electric refrigerator. There was also a small bar-type counter separating the kitchen and breakfast dining area.
The house had four entrances, one on each side of the house. The west entrance featured a covered all-weather walkway connecting it with the large two-car drive-through garage. The garage featured a large storage closet for lawn mowers and gardening tools. The garage also contained a small restroom.
The exterior of the house was cream-colored roman brick shipped in from Arkansas. The roof was a green slate roof. There was a large concrete porch at the front of the house. The entire house was encircled by a concrete driveway. And while the house did not have them for a while at first, wrought iron railings were later added at all entrances and around the front porch.
The Bell family was very proud of the new home. At the time, it was one of the largest and most modern houses in town. Many of the features that were included in it were advanced for the time.
The Bell family has occupied the house for more than 50 years now (as of 2002). The house has been the scene for many graduation and other parties, barbecues, dinners, and entertainments. It has been a place where children have lived and played and grown. The house has been the scene of many happy occasions, Christmases and birthdays. The house has been a haven of rest for the weary and sick. The house has been a shelter from intense heat and freezing cold, a shelter from many storms, including the destructive tornado of 1971. And the house still stands, just as beautiful and useful as ever; a testament to the genius and vision of those who planned and built it years ago.
The 1970s and 1980s
The Great Tornado of 1971:
On Sunday afternoon, February 21, 1971, a disaster occurred which would drastically change the lives of all the people in Inverness. Things would never be the same again.
On that day there was a low pressure weather system moving from northeast Texas through Arkansas into southern Missouri. A warm front moved up from the south. As this front moved up, the cold front moved in from the northwest. The two fronts bumped together first in northeast Louisiana, then the southeast tip of Arkansas and into Mississippi, and finally into Tennessee. As these two air masses collided, violent weather developed. After spawning two twisters in Louisiana, the line of violent weather, about 80 miles wide, raced northeastward across Mississippi and into Tennessee. Within the line, more than 40 tornadoes were created, and many touched the ground and caused extensive damage in the four state area, but mainly in the Mississippi Delta.
It got dark in Inverness at 4:30 p.m. that afternoon. Many people saw the sky darken and knew that a heavy rain must be on its way. Then the unthinkable happened. A large, powerful tornado with driving rain and 100+ mile-per-hour winds began at the southwest corner of the town and moving northeast, left a path of destruction more than 3/8 of a mile-wide right through the center of town. The deadly destruction all happened in an amazingly short time; it only took four or five minutes for the tornado to move through and level most of the town. Immediately after the tornado passed, the heavy rain stopped and a terrible dead silence settled over the town. Nothing was heard--not a sound--for several minutes. People were shocked and dazed by what had happened. Many were injured or unconscious. Others were dying or already dead.
When people did regain their senses and realize what had happened, they couldn't believe what they saw. The sight was horrible, unbelievable. Ninety percent of the business district and seventy-five percent of the houses in the town had been totally destroyed or heavily damaged. The town was a virtual sea of rubble, fallen trees, overturned cars, roofless homes and buildings. The streets and highway were impassable. Water and gas lines were broken and the smell of leaking natural gas was in the air.
By chance, Sanders and King were returning from Memphis and approaching the town from the north on Highway 49w. In the distance, they actually saw the terrible tornado passing through Inverness as they approached. They saw that the highway was blocked and there was much destruction in the area. They parked their car on the side of the highway and ran across rain-soaked ground, through "the grove" on the drive which led to the Montgomery home and connected with Montgomery Drive. They ran as fast as they could to discover what had happened to their home on Montgomery Drive.
By a sheer miracle, the homes on Montgomery Drive were not in the path of the killer tornado and most were not damaged. At the Bell home, only the wood-frame, plastic-covered greenhouse that was attached to the front of the house was lost. A number of pine tree limbs were broken, but that was about the extent of the damage. Rubye's mother, Harriet (Hattie) King, was standing in the sun parlor looking out one of the large plate-glass windows. She saw the driving rain and storm. Others were farther back in the house and tried to coax her to come to a safer area in the interior of the house. She refused, escaped unhurt, and was one of the few people who saw the tornado pass.
Another miracle occurred downtown at the dental office. The entire block of buildings surrounding the dental office on East Grand Avenue were destroyed. The dental office, however, was miraculously spared, but suffered roof damage, broken glass in the doors, and extensive water damage. It was repaired and was the only building left standing in the block.
Sadly, the Fifth Street home of Mildred Williams, Rubye's sister, was directly in the path of the tornado and was complete demolished. Fortunately, Mildred was not at home at the time, but was visiting in the home of her brother and his wife, C.W. and Mary Frances King. The King home was located west of Inverness in the country and was not damaged.
Fourteen persons were killed, 200 persons were injured, and hundreds more lost their businesses and homes. National Guard personnel were called in to prevent looting. Property damaged ran into the millions. The large First Baptist Church building was destroyed and, afterward, alone, would cost more than $350,000 to replace. The Methodist Church building also was destroyed. Other Delta towns suffered damage also, but Inverness was the most heavily damaged of all.
Like the Great Floor of 1927, the Great Tornado of 1971 would long be remembered by those who lived through it and those who saw the great devastation that it caused. In coming months and years, however, out of the rubble and destruction, a new and better Inverness would rise.
Other events of the 1970s and 1980s:
On March 27, 1984, the Inverness Chamber of Commerce issued a resolution recognizing and commending Sanders Bell for his 30 years of service to the town by caring for the town flags and raising and lowering them each day in the park in the center of town.
Rubye King Bell
Following his marriage separation, Charlie King Bell moved back in with his parents.
By the early 1980s, Rubye's kidney function began to fail. She was using a kidney dialysis machine to purify her blood. We were told that long-term effects of medication that Rubye was using to control high blood pressure had contributed to the kidney damage and failure. From about 1982 through early 1985, Sanders lovingly took Rubye to Greenwood to have the dialysis done on three days a week. They would go early and arrive early so that Sanders could help set up for Rubye and the other patients.
During the 1970s and 1980s, Sanders and Rubye traveled to Tuscaloosa, Alabama to visit their two sons, Don and Tim, and their families who lived there. Even after she began dialysis, they made the trip to Tuscaloosa a time or two. Rubye received dialysis at the Dialysis Center at DCH Regional Medical Center in Tuscaloosa.
Rubye's passed away about 2:10 a.m. on the morning of February 4, 1985. She had gotten up to go to the bathroom. When she returned, she sat down on the bed, fell over on the bed and passed away almost immediately. Attempts by Sanders and King to revive her were of no avail. It is not known whether she died from a blood clot or heart attack or her heart simply stopped beating. An autopsy was not deemed necessary and was not done. Rubye was nearly 69 years and 7 months old when she died. Mortimer Funeral Home in Belzoni was in charge of funeral arrangements. A funeral service was held two days later at the Frist Baptist Church of Inverness, and Rubye was buried in the family plot near her parents in Hickory Grove Cemetery located just west of Inverness.
Obituary from The Enterprise-Tocsin (Indianola, Mississippi). Ancestry.com.
Mrs. Rubye King Bell
Mrs. Rubye King Bell, 69, of Inverness died Monday in her home following a lengthy illness.
Services were Tuesday at Inverness First Baptist Church with Rev. Danny Prater officiating. Burial followed at Hickory Grove Cemetery with Mortimer Funeral Home of Belzoni in charge of arrangements.
Survivors include her husband, Dr. C.S. Bell of Inverness; two daughters, Mrs. Rosemary Murphey of Indianola and Mrs. June Knight of Greenwood; four sons, Dr. King Bell and Jimmy Bell, both of Inverness; and Don Bell and Tim Bell, both of Tuscaloosa, Alabama; two brothers, C.W. King, Jr. and B.W. King, both of Inverness; 13 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Reference: U.S., Newspapers.com Obituary Index 1800s-Current. Ancestry.com.
Reference: U.S., Find a Grave Index 1600s-Current. Ancestry.com. Note: Name should be Rubye King Bell.
Recent Years (Through 2001)
After Rubye's passing, King Bell continued to live with his father and care for him. Jimmy and Carline Bell lived across the street from Sanders' home, and they, too, looked after Jimmy's father. Sanders remained active and would do yard work and go with Jimmy to the family's 90-acre woods to cut and split firewood for Jimmy's own fireplace and to sell. Sanders remained active in the community, the Inverness Lions Club, and the First Baptist Church. For years, he raised and lowered the U.S. flag located in the square in the center of town. He would arrive early at Lions Club luncheons to set out plates of food for several members who could not carry the plates themselves. He continued to do some dental work at the office until he permanently retired in 1995 after 60 years of dental practice in the town.
Sanders loved wild ducks, especially mallards, and raised them and fed them on the bayou-lake which ran through the town and by his home. He enjoyed birdwatching and maintained a number of feeders near a window so that he could watch them. He continued to believe in the value of an education and he helped financially with the college educations of several of his grandchildren.
Sanders continued to keep in touch and visit with his sisters in Water Valley. In the 1990s, he and King attended the Koonce Family Reunion each March or April and October held at the Edna Koonce Rider home in Coffeeville. Often the reunion was attended by about 20 people. Sanders and King would often pick up Lee, Jr. who would attend the reunion with them.
Following the death of Mildred Williams (May 17 1982), wife of Lloyd Hassell Williams and sister of Rubye, Sanders looked after Harriet Williams, her remaining unmarried daughter. Harriet's sisters and brother had families and careers of their own. Sanders knew Harriet might sometimes get lonely and he suggested that she come by the house to visit as often as she liked. Harriet often brought in the newspaper in the morning and helped him feed mallard ducks on the bayou. They often ate meals together. Harriet lived independently in her own home on Davis Avenue in Inverness.
By 1999, Sanders began experiencing light strokes. Indeed, one day during the summer of 1999, he was mowing grass in the back yard when he became temporarily disoriented and fainted. His doctors prescribed a blood thinner to help prevent further strokes.
During 2001, Sanders and King visited Don and Tim and their families in Tuscaloosa, Alabama three times. In February, Sanders attended the wedding of his grandson, Jonathan Michael Bell (son of Don and Linda Bell) to Aimee Eldridge of Knoxville, Tennessee. In May, Sanders attended the graduation of his grandson, Louis Sanders Bell (son of Tim and Jean Smylie Bell) who received a journalism degree from the University of Alabama. In November, Sanders attended a birthday party for his grandson, Jonathan Michael Bell. He got to see and hold his great grandson, three-month-old Aaron Michael Bell (son of Jonathan and Aimee Eldridge Bell).
On November 21, 2001, Sanders celebrated his 88th birthday. Harriet had Mary Clair (Charles Ed's wife's daughter) to make a special cake. The Don Bell and Jonathan Bell families in Tuscaloosa sent Sanders a large basket of snack foods for his birthday. Sean and Rosemary presented him with a large caricature of himself.
Sanders enjoyed a special Christmas Day, December 25, 2001. He and King rode with Sean and Rosemary Murphey to the home of Bob and June Knight in Greenwood where they all enjoyed Christmas dinner together. Rosemary had prepared a number of her mother's recipes. Those present commented that the food was just like Mama cooked it years ago. Sean and Rosemary presented Sanders with a beautiful framed original drawing of his home in Inverness, drawn by Sean. In later afternoon, about 4:30, Sean and Rosemary brought Sanders and King to their home in Indianola to view their Christmas tree and decorations. While there, they sent several voice e-mail and e-mail messages to both Don and Tim in Alabama. Don responded back for perhaps an hour and a half with e-mail replies. Sean took a Polaroid photo of Sanders, Rosemary, and King and sent it via e-mail to Don and Tim. This was the last photo made of Sanders.