William “Bill” Franklin Bell, 93, of Sweet Home, Oregon passed away Sunday, June 15, 2014. He was born in Belfield, North Dakota to Jesse Crawford and Nellie Eliza (Egly) Bell. Bill was the first born of 10 children.

He grew up during the depression and, as a result of the depression, he and his family left North Dakota and moved to the Oregon coast in 1937. Bill attended high school in Wheeler. In 1942, he met his wife, Verna Elizabeth Woodward, and they were married in Astoria on May 20, 1942. In September 2006, they were sealed in the LDS Portland Oregon Temple.

On June 20, 1944, Bill joined the United States Army. He was proud of the service he provided in World War II serving on the island of Tinian.

After the war, he returned to Twin Rocks in 1946, and the family moved to Sweet Home. In Sweet Home, he worked as a logger and had his own small logging company for many years. He especially enjoyed running his small sawmill. Bill could operate any logging machine after a few minutes, and was in his element in the seat of a machine.

He enjoyed hunting and fishing with his family and enjoyed working on his farm in Sweet Home.

He was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and attended the Sweet Home Ward. He served in the Sweet Home Volunteer Fire Department from 1947 to 1965. Bill was as member of VFW Santiam Post 4065 in Jefferson and the American Legion in Sweet Home. He and his wife worked at the East Linn Museum for many years.

Bill is survived by: his wife of 72 years, Verna Elizabeth Bell, of Sweet Home; sons, William and wife Kathleen of Albany, Robert of Albany, Ted and wife Jane of Damascas, Tom and wife Linda of Albany, and Jack and wife Cindy of Sweet Home; 15 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; 2 great, great grandchildren; and brothers and sisters, Betty Postma, Lorna Graham, Carol Knox, and John Bell. He was preceeded in death by his parents and brothers and sisters, Vivian Bell, Margaret Frisvold, Charles Bell, Carrie Canfield, and James Bell. Above all, he had great joy in his family, and loved them very much.

Viewing will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 21, 2014 at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Sweet Home. Funeral service will begin at 11:00 a.m. Final burial will be at Gilliland Cemetery.

The family has asked that, in lieu of flowers, donations may be sent in Bill’s name to the Primary Children’s Hospital or Samaritan Evergreen Hospice through Sweet Home Funeral Chapel, 1443 Long St., Sweet Home, OR 97386.

Sweet Home Funeral Chapel is handling the arrangements.