Patricia Karen Bell

Patricia Karen Bell, 82, of Monico, passed away after a long, hard, and courageous battle with aplastic anemia on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, at Wausau Aspirus Hospital.

Patricia was born on July 1, 1944, in Tomahawk, Wisconsin, to Alby and Gertrude (Krzoska) Walentowski and was delivered by Dr. Kate Pelham Newcomb. She was raised in Jennings and later in the Rhinelander area, where she attended Pelican Lake Grade School. Pat was a 1962 graduate of Rhinelander High School. She then attended a business school in Milwaukee. These studies were very helpful to Pat as she found employment in banking and finance and was employed with Merchants State Bank, Marshall & Illsley Bank, and BMO, and later was employed and retired from Heights Finance.

Pat was married in 1967 to Thomas J. Bell. The couple was blessed with two sons, John and Matthew.

Pat enjoyed knitting, taking part in her three grandsons’ activities, which included snowmobile racing, stockcar racing, soccer, football, and bowling. She also enjoyed bird watching, especially finches and hummingbirds, and was always interested in wildlife in the backyard, and baking sweets, which included her secret recipe of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. She was also known to be a very good seamstress.

Pat attended St. Mary’s Catholic Church.

Surviving are her two sons, John Bell of the Town of Pelican, and Matthew Bell of Eagle River, three grandsons, Braeden, Braxtin, and Trentin Bell, one brother, Phillip (Betty) Walentowski of Sturgeon Bay, and a cousin, more like a sister, Marcia Lafferty of Batavia, Ill.. Also surviving are many nieces, nephews, cousins, and other relatives and friends.

She is preceded in death by her parents, Alby and Gertrude Walentowski, and by her former husband, Thomas Bell, in 1991.

The visitation for Patricia will be held on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, at the Hildebrand Funeral Home located at 24 E. Davenport Street, from 1 p.m. until the 4 p.m. funeral service. Chaplain John Uhlarik will officiate.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hildebrand Funeral Home & Cremation Specialists, 24 E. Davenport Street, Rhinelander, Wisconsin, 54501, 715-365-4343. Everyone is invited to leave an online condolence at www.hildebrandrussfh.com.