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Their young family moved around Montana, living in Circle, Augusta, Joliet, and Butte, but they always found their way back to Great Falls. Three years later, in 1976 they welcomed their only son, Bill, and in 1979, their youngest daughter Kelli finished out their family. In 1973, Buck and Dolly welcomed their first daughter, Dena. She spent her high school years in Circle, and in Circle is where she met her best friend in life, Sandee Dean.ĭolly met Buck in Circle in July of 1970 and on October 16, 1971, they were married in Great Falls, MT. Dolly spent her time growing up in Brockway, Circle, and Ryegate. I want her to see that she can dream and accomplish those dreams with hard work and determination.Dolly Jean Pandis, age 68, of Great Falls, MT passed away surrounded by her loving husband of over 50 years, Buck Pandis, and her three children, Dena, Bill, and Kelli in the early morning hours of December 5, 2021.ĭolly was born on April 1, 1953, along with her twin sister, Donna, to Ernest and Helen Kunesh in Glendive, MT. Willa has given me purpose and direction. “The Army gave me focus, confidence and motivation. It does make some things hard, but it's not life ending," Bell said. There are others who have more than one child and less of a support system than I do. I don't like to use the excuse that ‘I'm a single mother’ because I know that there are others out there who do it every day. I want to be a great role model for my daughter, Willa. "I want to be a better me tomorrow than I am today. As she prepares to end this part of her journey, she acknowledges the motivation behind her determination and success. I would have lost my livelihood."īell is scheduled to complete her studies this winter. Think about it, if I did not pass my medical board, I would have lost not only my military career, but my civilian one as well. "I am what's called a Military Technician or MilTech a General Service employee who is required to be an active drilling member of the Army Reserve or National Guard,” Bell explained. I kept pushing because that's what the Army taught me to do," Bell said.ĭuring this time, more stars aligned as the North Carolina native received orders that would lead to her receiving a fulltime position as a Military Human Resource Specialist. I knew I could use my GI Bill and get a part time job, this was a start. " was ranked fifth in the nation and it was right around the corner from my house. I want to give life back to that person and give their families one last good memory."Īfter enrolling in the Career and Education Program, Bell began taking classes at Fayetteville Technical Community College and secured an internship with a local funeral home.
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I made a joke one day on Facebook saying "What am I going to do with my life, maybe I'll become a Mortician,” Bell said. "I had an Associate’s Degree in Arts and Humanities, but no life plan. I wasn't going to let being hurt stop me,”īell healed at the Warrior Transition Battalion, Fort Bragg, North Carolina and began contemplating her future. “It's also very minor compared to what my brothers and sisters in arms have faced. I'm lucky, I know from the skydiving community that its very minor compared to what could have happened,” Bell said. "I completed my medical board and was found fit for duty.
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After an attempted jump, Bell damaged her spinal cord, fractured her hip and developed a blood clot during surgery. In 2017, Bell set another goal: joining the Army’s parachute team, the Golden Knights. She also began working on her Associates Degree in Arts and Humanities. I walked in and told the Army recruiter, ‘you don't have to lie to me or sell me anything, I'm joining the Army!’ and I haven't looked backed since."Īfter serving nine years on active duty, Bell joined the Army Reserve in October 2014 and reclassified as a civil affairs specialist. "I told him that if my fall semester didn't work out, I would think about it. I remember thinking, ‘no way - I was enjoying my life,’” Bell said. It's funny, the summer after my first year of college, my uncle told me I should join the military. "I can't remember what the inside of a classroom looked like and I was going nowhere fast. A self -proclaimed rebel, she decided joining the Army was the best fit for her. Kristen Bell developed her own creed for giving honor to our fallen Soldiers.īell's path to honoring our nation's finest began after she joined the Army in 2003. –"A body, is somebody." As a former volunteer with the Mortuary Casualty Assistance Team, Staff Sgt. Gomes, Warrior Care and TransitionĪRLINGTON, Va. Kristen Bell: The circle of lifeīy Annette P.