Iris (Bell) HIGHTOWER

HIGHTOWER, BELL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 8/31/2013 at 17:20:10

Methodist Moments
The Real Life Stories & Adventures of Our Friends and Neighbors
LIFE STORIES.....

Iris Hightower was born in Clarion, Iowa on August 31, 1932 to Burdette and Lois Bell. Her parents were farmers. Iris was the youngest of six children. She had three sisters and two brothers who always helped take care of her. Her sisters Leanona, Eleanor, and Veda have passed on but her brothers Donald and Burdette, Jr. are still living in Iowa. Iris went to school and graduated the 12th grade second in her class!

She felt that God was calling her to the ministry. She got a scholarship to National College in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended four years of college and received her Bachelor’s degree in Christian Education and Social work. She applied to the Board of Missions and they sent her to NE Arkansas; Imboden and Batesville. She decided to go into the ministry full time. She applied to be a Methodist Deaconess and was a full time lay person. She soon began working with Bill Hightower who was a fulltime minister. Bill began to tease Iris about being single so one day she said “do you have a friend in mind?” He said, “No, but I have a brother, Bedelle.” Iris was at a meeting at the First Methodist Church, and it was there that Bill introduced Iris to his brother, Bedelle. The rest was history! She was living in Batesville and he lived in Fort Smith, so every Sunday he would write her a letter and she would write back. It didn't take very long to realize they were meant to be together. On August 13, 1960 they were married in Woolstock, Iowa. They moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

They had a wonderful marriage of 51 years. They raised two sons and have one granddaughter. They moved to Methodist Village in 2004 and Bedelle became steadily worse with Parkinson Disease. He had to be put in Methodist Health & Rehab. He went home to be with the Lord on September 10th, 2011. Iris stays busy doing the Lord's work. She had a large part in organizing Interfaith Preschool. She did a lot of Christian education work at the church and the district. She also worked as the Methodist American Indian coordinator for the Fort Smith district. Iris loves to sing and currently sings in the choir at St. Paul Methodist Church. She is also leading music for the Vesper Services here at Methodist Village and for Methodist Health and Rehab. She is also very involved in Pet Therapy. Iris's dog Rowdy got a certificate for 150 hours of service. Project Compassion had a party for them where Mayor Ray Baker presented Rowdy with a certificate. Rowdy passed away and now Iris is training her new dog Missy for pet therapy. She hopes to get Missy certified also.

Iris loves living here at the village. She said "The staff are always so caring and always looking out for what we need. The fellowship with the other residents has been wonderful and we have become like family!"

Methodist Moments - Fort Smith, Arkansas
August 2012, Volume 51, issue 8, page 4
http://methodistvillage.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/August-2012.pdf