Annette Crispin Bell, 90, of Ethete, Wy, passed away in Lander, Wy on July 8, 2023, lovingly surrounded by her family.
Annette was born to Thomas E. Crispin Jr. and Helen Armajo Cedartree on May 18th, 1933 in a log cabin in Ethete, Wy. She was the eldest daughter of 8 siblings and often spoke warmly of her father Tom.
At the age of 5, she was sent to St. Michael’s Mission school, where she was enrolled in an attempt to keep her elder brother Charles from running away. A survivor of the boarding school era, her educational journey later took her through Wind River and Lander school districts, ultimately culminating in an Associate’s Degree from CWC. Annette was a true Fremont county and Wind River Reservation local, but spent many years living throughout the Mountain West and Pacific NorthWest. When she finally returned home to the Wind River Mountain Reservation she worked as a technician for Datel, a manager of Ethete store in its formative years, as a journeyman butcher at Safeway, and finally as the Arapaho Language teacher at Wyoming Indian High School. She was a strong willed and compassionate person who took her students well-being seriously and often regaled stories about how much she enjoyed her years teaching. Alongside being one of the few remaining fluent Arapaho speakers, she was a brilliant and inspired person who became a self-taught master quilter and even served as a master gardener around the county. She was deeply passionate about sharing her knowledge and taught many classes on star quilt assembly throughout her life. Her garden and beautiful yard are their own testaments to her capabilities in growing things which she enjoyed long into her retirement.
Annette was preceded in death by her parents Thomas and Helen; her brothers Charles Crispin and Theodore Crispin; sisters Louella White, Gloria Mae Crispin, Delores Mary Crispin, Marian Crispin, baby Crispin, and Albertina Ficklin; her son Everett James Daniels; daughters Virginia Porath and Melanie Daniels; her husband Curtis Bell; and her granddaughter Julia Stevie Thayer.
She is survived by her sister Helen Baker and brother John Headley Sr.; her daughters Ruth Thayer of Henderson, NV, Rebecca Joy Daniels of Farmington, NM; sons Clinton Daniels and George Micah Daniels of Ethete, Wy. She is also survived by numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren; the families of Henry and Susan Crispin, Adolf and Edith Armajo, Mary and Joe Duran, Ed and Ophelia Aragon, John and Mary Agnes Goggles, and Frank Armajo; and dear friend Susan Givens.
Wake services will be held Thursday July 13th, 2023 at her residence in Ethete at 712 Ethete Rd at 7:00 p.m. Traditional funeral services will start at 10 a.m. at her residence on Friday, July 14th with internment immediately following at YellowCalf Cemetery. A feast and giveaway will follow the internment.