Jeanette Bruner Bell

GREENSBORO — Ira Jeanette Bruner Bell, 94, passed away peacefully on Thursday, October 8, 2026, at Moses Cone Hospital. Born December 17, 1931, in Hickory, North Carolina, she was the daughter of the late William Carl Bruner and Annie Marie Goodson Bruner.

In addition to her parents, Jeanette was preceded in death by her beloved husband of 70 years, Joseph Luther Bell, Sr.; her daughter, Felicia Dawn Bell; and her brother, Johnny Bruner.

She is survived by her sons, Don Antonio Bell (Angie) of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Joseph Luther Bell, Jr. (Amy) of Rocky Mount, North Carolina; her daughter, Laura Bell (Michael) of Greensboro; and her brother, Thomas Bruner (Jeanette) of Kernersville, North Carolina. She is also survived by her nephews, Tom Bruner (Tina), David Bruner, and Danny Bruner (Sara), and her niece, Candis Bruner.

Jeanette is survived by nine grandchildren: Ryan Bell (Serena), Riley Bell, Regan Bell, Kylen Huntwork Ribeiro (Alan), Connor Huntwork, Spencer Bell (Veronica), Caroline Bell Gaskill (Josh), Forrest Bell, and Jackson McCann. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren: Vincent Ribeiro, Sebastian Ribeiro, Adelia Ribeiro, and Hampton Bell.

Jeanette was a proud 1950 graduate of Claremont Central High School (now Hickory High School). After graduating from the Davis Hospital School of Nursing in Statesville in 1954, she worked as a nurse at Davis Hospital. It was there that she met Luther, who was one of her patients. They married in March 1956 and shared 70 years of marriage. Over the course of their marriage, they made their homes in Hamptonville, North Carolina; Nicaragua; Atlanta, Georgia; Mooresville, North Carolina; and Greensboro, North Carolina, eventually returning to Hamptonville and later Greensboro. Above all, Jeanette treasured her family and delighted in following the lives and accomplishments of her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

Caring for others was central to Jeanette’s life. She devoted nearly 50 years to nursing, including sixteen years as an intensive care and emergency department nurse at Wesley Long Hospital, where she worked until retirement in 1993. Following her retirement from Wesley Long, Jeanette continued serving others at Fellowship Hall in Greensboro, providing care to patients suffering from addiction. She retired from nursing completely in 2001 when she and Luther returned to Hamptonville to reside at the Bell homeplace. Jeanette was also a faithful member of Flat Rock Baptist Church in Hamptonville.

Jeanette and Luther enjoyed traveling together, particularly in their later years. A devoted fan of The Andy Griffith Show, Jeanette was also active in the local “Barney” Chapter of the Andy Griffith Show Rerun Watchers Club. She also enjoyed the friendship and outings of the Red Hat Society, and her love of history led her to volunteer for a number of years with the Yadkin County Historical and Genealogical Society.

The family wishes to express its heartfelt appreciation to Lesley Burrows for the companionship, kindness, and loving care she provided to Jeanette.

A celebration of Jeanette’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, November 7, 2026, in the sanctuary of Flat Rock Baptist Church in Hamptonville, with Dr. Joey Tomlin officiating. Burial will follow in the church cemetery. The family will receive friends at the church from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. before the service.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Flat Rock Baptist Church, P.O. Box 267, Hamptonville, NC 27020, Attn: Cemetery Fund.

Online condolences may be shared at www.gentryfuneralservice.com. Gentry Family Funeral Service in Yadkinville is serving the Bell family.