Stella Jaques Bell, daughter of Mary Josephine Jack and John Ricks Jaques, spent her early life on her parents' homestead at Porterville, Oregon, where her father raised horses. These childhood years in Oregon instilled in her a lasting love of nature.

Following World War I, John Ricks Jaques moved his family to eastern Idaho. Here, Stella graduated from Hamer High School and later attended Ricks College. At Ricks, her literary talents were encouraged by her English professor, who urged her to write her life story, believing that she could publish such a volume.

Besides her writing talent, Stella possessed other special gifts which she used freely to give pleasure to others or to aid them. She played the piano and guitar and taught herself to play the concert accordian. She performed for various groups throughout the Snake River Valley. Active in the Latter-day Saints Church, she served in various capacities in all its organizations. Within her own family, her children treasured her strong testimony, gained strength from it, and built their own testimonies on its foundations.

Stella married Lamont D. Bell in 1931; their marriage was blessed with six children

Always ambitious, she was continuously engaged with a variety of projects. With her pioneer background to draw from, she was extremely resourceful creating many things to beautify her home from practically nothing but ingenuity. Her interests extended to education for the handicapped; for her outstanding work in this area, she was given a life membership in the PTA. Later, in 1966, she received the recognition of being named "Madison County Citizen of the Year".