EMMA "JOANN" BELL

A Brief Sketch of Life

Emma JoAnn “Jodi” Bell-Plummer was born on October 1, 1955, in Indianapolis, Indiana, at Marion County General Hospital. She was born to the late Harold Bell and Juanita S. Plummer-Tibbs.

JoAnn, as she was affectionately called by her family and friends, completed her primary and secondary education in IPS School #29, #56, and Arlington/Arsenal Tech High School.  She graduated from the Army National Guard in 1974.

JoAnn as a child was a member of Grace Memorial Baptist Church under the late Rev. James Brown. In 1973, she joined Universal Church of Truth, now known as Universal Ministries Worldwide, under the leadership and guidance of her spiritual father, the late Apostle William Melvin Payne. JoAnn’s musical talent was nurtured as a young lady, under direction of the late Clarence Eugene Antonio Payne. In the church, JoAnn had several roles. She was a Sunday School teacher for the children, an Administrative Clerk, Choir Director and soloist for the mighty voices of Universal Church of Truth.

Throughout her life, JoAnn was a contributor to society. To know her was to love her. JoAnn’s kindness and dedication were unmatched. She was employed with the Indianapolis Police Department for eight years, William N. Wishard Memorial Hospital for fifteen years, and EDS as a clerk for ten years.  Lastly, she worked for five years at Community Hospital East as a Code Blue Operator until her retirement in 2010 due to a TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury).

JoAnn loved outdoor sports and more than anything, she loved her family with all her heart. She was also an avid lover of animals, who were also her family. Her childhood pets      included her cat, “Dinkie”, and dogs, “Snowball”, “Fluffy”, “Georgette”, “Hosea”, “Dottie”, “Maxwell” and “Ginger”. They were all her babies.

JoAnn departed this earthly life on July 10, 2026, at the age   seventy years. She was preceded in death by her parents, Harold Bell and Juanita S. Plummer-Tibbs; grandmother, Mama Haley; brother, Gregory Tuck; spiritual father, Apostle William Melvin Payne, and her fiancé, Benjamin Brownlow.

Those left to cherish her memories are her stepmother, Esther Bell; her brothers, Henry D. (Rosemary) Plummer, Joseph F.  (Tanya) Plummer, Darrion, Jerome, and Fred Bell and a special brother; Dayvid Brown; sisters, Frances Ratcliffe, Evelina (Bobby) Mays, Latricia Bars, Joyce Avery, Jacqueline Sababo, Floretta Hall, Donna Martin-Johnson, Gale Martin, Florence, Lydia, and Cynthia Bell. She also leaves to cherish her memories her ride or die, best friend of over forty-five years, Betty Stone; her goddaughter, Denita Myles, a host of nieces and nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews, extended family and friends, and her beloved Universal Worldwide Ministries Church Family.

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