Janice “Jan” Faye Bell, 72, of Dubuque, Iowa, passed away unexpectedly at home on May 28, 2025.
A graveside burial service will be held at 3:00 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, 2025, at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. A celebration of life will follow from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Annabel Lee Barn, 2327 Manson Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52003. Leonard Funeral Home & Crematory is assisting the family.

Jan was born March 30, 1953, in Carroll County, Iowa, to Dick and Eunice (Rasmussen) McCollough. She graduated from AR-WE-VA High School, class of 1971, in Westside, Iowa, and Iowa Central Community College in Fort Dodge, Iowa.  She married Dave Bell on December 5, 1987, in Lake Tahoe, Neveda. He preceded her in death on November 10, 2013. Jan owned and operated Jan’s Sewtique in Dubuque, Iowa.

Growing up on the family farm near Vail, Iowa, Jan found her love of horses—a passion that would grow alongside her talent for sewing and eventually lead to a lifelong love of barrel racing. She was a seamstress for over 45 years and had a gift for fixing just about anything—if it could be sewn, Jan could fix it. She loved barrel racing with her devoted barrel racing family—not just for the sport, but for the friendships it brought. Barrel racing weekends were filled with fun dinners, card games, and laughter. She was a champion many times on Roany, her husband’s horse, and more recently on Flaming Hot Money, known to all as “Tamale.” Her final ride over Memorial Day weekend at the “Go For Broke” and “Boots, Bits, and Spurs Invitational” events was one of her best—she clocked some of her top times and felt she was on a winning roll.

Jan had a deep love for all animals and cared for her horses, chickens, her loyal dog Lena, and her cat Ivy. She worked hard to maintain her property and took pride in her large garden, often sharing its bounty—fresh vegetables and herbs—with friends and neighbors. Her “get ‘er done” attitude, spitfire personality, and incredibly kind heart will be remembered by all who knew and loved her.

She is survived by her siblings, Elaine McCollough-Georgeou of CA, Judy Gronau of Vail, IA, Paul McCollough of MO, and Linda McCollough of MN; stepchildren, Laura (Bill) Holt of Dubuque, Scott (Deb) Bell of Peosta, and Leslie (Tony) Guler of GA; grandchildren, Amanda, Chloe, Justin, Becca, and Nathan; sister-in-law Debby Nelson of MO; along with many nieces and nephews and her beloved horse friends and family.

Jan is preceded in death by her husband Dave Bell; her parents; parents-in-law Earl and Beulah Bell; and her siblings-in-law Marko Georgeou and Phyllis Geske.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the nonprofits, Two by Two Character Development, Dubuque Cancer Society, or your favorite charity in Jan’s name.