Lake Charles American Press, October 4, 1061:

J. ALBERT BEL BUSINESSMAN DIES OF WOUNDS

        LAKE CHARLES, Oct 3 (Spl) -- J. Albert Bel, 49, member of an old and prominent Lake Charles family and a widely known businessman, died late Monday night of accidental gunshot wounds.
        His body was found by Mrs. Bel about 7:30 a. m. Tuesday when she entered the bedroom.

Coroner's Report

        Dr. Harry S. Snatic, parish coroner, said Mr. Bel apparently died instantly from a wound of the abdominal region when the 12 gauge shot gun he was attempting to repair accidently discharged.
        Mr. Bel was seated on a bed at his home, 601 Helen, when the accident occurred. He had made plans to go to Reynosa, Mexico, with friends, to hunt doves, and was readying the gun, one of his favorites, for the trip.

Faulty Mechanism

        The mechanism for injecting shells into the firing chamber was not functioning properly, the coroner explained.
        Member of a pioneer family, his grandfather was Capt. John Albert Bel, an early settler, and a grandmother, Mrs. Della Goos Bel, also was a member of a family coming to Lake Charles in its early days.
        Mr. Bel is survived by his wife, the former Daisy Miller Boyd; two sons, the Rev. Ernest F. Bel of New Orleans and James Boyd Bel of Lake Charles; one daughter, Miss Jeanne Bel, a freshman at Louisiana State Univ.; his mother, Mrs. Ernest F. Bel, Lake Charles, a sister, Mrs. Rudolph Krause, Lake Charles, and two grandchildren.

Rites Are Today

        His body is at the Hixson Funeral Home. Services will be conducted at 11 a. m. Wednesday at the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd.
        The Rev. Iveson B. Noland, coadjutor Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Louisiana, Alexandria, the Rev. Robert L. Crandall, rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd and the Rev. Robert John Dodwell and the Rev. Woollen H. Walshe, assistants; the Rev. Harold R. Bott, rector of the St. Michael's and All Angels Episcopal Church, Lake Charles, and the Rev. Nicholas J. Abraham, of Sulphur will officiate. Burial will be in Orange Grove Cemetery.
        Pallbearers will be Rawls Fortenberry, Richard H. Trahan III, John Khoury, Dr. Charles Mackey, Dr. Gordon Deen, Hunter Perrin, John Noble and Jimmy Tausig.
        Honorary pallbearers will be Charles Noble, Richard E. Gerard, H. G. Chaulkley, Ralph Potter, A. W. Noland Jr., C. Ashton Fenet, George A. Robinson, Dr. Hugh DeLaureal, Richard E. Watson, J. A. Kiplinger, Max Chesson, Weyland Welch, Daniel Poole, William Poole, Ernest Poole, Sheffield Royer, William People, Ted Askew, Cecil K. Colon, Dr. Eugene McDonald, Dan Woodring, A. S. Shepherd Jr., Dr. Warren Raggio, W. D. Wesley, John Henry, C. A. King II, E. D. Windham and Lou Findley, Charles H. Lawrence and Delmar Wheeler.
        Mr. Bel had served with the American Transport Service attached to the military during World War II and for a period prior to that time was a pilot for Braniff Air Lines.

Lacassine Co. President

        Mr. Bel was president of Lacassine Co., was managing partner of John A. Bel Estate and of Quatre Parish Co., served as treasurer of Bel Oil Co. and was on its board of directors, and was president of both the Arnoudville Co. and the Lake Arthur Rice Drier in Lake Arthur, La.
        He had served on the city recreation commission, was a member of the Lake Charles Golf and Country Club and of the Pioneer Club.
        Educated in public schools of Lake Charles, he was a graduate of Lake Charles High School and attended the University of Alabama.
        The family has requested that no flowers be sent. In lieu of flowers, friends are asked to make donations to the Episcopal Day School, to the Heart Fund or to Boys Village.