December 31, 1937 July 1, 2025
Silver Bell Motley, 87, passed away peacefully on July 1, 2025, in Center. She was born on December 31, 1937, to Marley Steven Bell and Mildred Lookabaugh Bell in Ennis, Texas.
Visitation was held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, at First Baptist Church in Center, with the service following at noon.
Interment followed at Oaklawn Memorial Park. Born on December 31, 1937, in Ennis, Texas, Silver Bell was raised in a home full of love, hard work, a strong sense of family, and lots of laughter. Her father, Steve, was a cattleman and trader with a sixth-grade education and a heart the size of Texas. Her mother, Mildred, was a gifted teacher, highly educated, a fabulous seamstress and largely the disciplinarian of the household. With her two sisters, Linda and Kathy, Silver grew up in Frankston, Texas, through her freshman year in high school, where she was a cheerleader and played tennis and basketball.
Her family moved to Nacogdoches briefly, then to Center at the beginning of her junior year. Never a shy one, Silver recalls catching the eye of a handsome sophomore, Luke Motley, on the first day of school. After going on a double date, each with other people, she knew Luke was going to ask her out. Sure enough, he asked to carry her home from church that Sunday, which began what would be a lifelong courtship.
Silver graduated in 1956 from Center High School and attended Stephen F. Austin State University, earning a marketing degree while also being chosen as the 1958 SFA Homecoming Queen and voted Miss SFA. Luke, in the meantime, attended Baylor University, with the two charting their own paths, until the day Silver received a job offer in another state. Luke’s mother, Martha, didn’t mince words in telling him he needed to get on the ball if he wanted to catch and marry Silver Bell. He asked, she said yes, and they married on June 5, 1959, and loved each other well for 66 years.
Silver and Luke made their home in Center, investing their lives in the community through banking, volunteerism, service organizations, First Baptist Church, and raising three children—son, Luke IV, daughter, Monica, and daughter, Meredith. Although Silver filled many roles in her lifetime, her greatest joy was being a wife and mother. It wasn’t until all three kids were in college at Baylor University— at the same time—that Luke said, “Silver… I think it would be a good idea for you to start teaching.”
This marked the beginning of a newfound personal passion for Silver in connecting with and caring deeply for her students. She enjoyed a 17-year teaching career at Center ISD, including being recognized as the 2003 Shelby County Teacher of the Year. Silver said, “On a good teaching day, I taught my students to learn two or three new things.” She held them to a very high standard balanced with consistent encouragement and praise. She believed “To teach once, was to learn twice,” a lesson she shared with her own kids, which inspired her daughter, Meredith, to become a teacher. Meredith is now teaching at Center ISD and her students are children of her mom’s students. It never fails, when parents find out Meredith is Silver’s daughter, their gratitude for how she changed their life is overwhelming.
Silver Bell Motley was a gift of a person, a friend to everyone, with a competitive, witty spirit, sincere joy, class, and kindness. Beneath it all was her unwavering belief and full faith in the birth, death, and resurrection of her Savior, Christ Jesus, and the promise of eternal life. She not only understood but modeled the redemptive power of forgiveness, grace, and unconditional love, which she gave freely to her family and everyone who knew her.
Survived by: her beloved husband, Luke Motley III, of 66 years; her son, Luke Motley IV and wife, Rosalind, of Sherman, Texas, Marlee Wilson and husband, Chase, of Sherman, Texas, Jeffrey Camden Wilson – great-grandchild, Jordan Motley of Austin, Texas, Mary Kate Motley of Encinitas, California; her daughter: Monica Van Slate and husband, Jon, of Houston, Texas, Sara Compton and husband, Mitchell, of Dallas, Texas, William Jon Compton – great-grandchild, Emily Davis and husband, David, of Grapevine, Texas; her daughter: Meredith Morris and husband, Brian, of Center, Texas, Morgan Morris of Splendora, Texas, Jake Morris of Longview, Texas; chosen daughter-in-law, Kelli Mathews of Center, Texas, Collin Mathews and wife, Madyson of Center, Texas, Vaughn Miller Murray Mathews – great-grandchild, Taighen May and husband, Trevor, of Center, Texas; her sister, Linda Lane, of Center, Texas, Aleshia Fife and husband, Keith, of Center, Texas, Allana Gallant, Jackson Fife, Mark Massey and wife, Wendy, of Kemah, Texas, Harrison Massey, Hunter Massey, Savannah Massey, Colton Massey; nieces/nephews, Debbie Armstrong and daughter, LeAnn, of Humble, Texas, Christie Pickens and husband, Chris, of Lumberton, Texas, Austin Pickens, Cortney Stelly, Abby Hutto.
Preceded in death by: parents - Steven “Steve” and Mildred Bell; in-laws – Luke “Jack” and Martha Motley; sister and brother-in-law – Charles and Kathy Noble; sister-in-law and brother-in-law – Jeanne and Leland Howard; nephew-in-law – Keith Armstrong; brother-in-law – Wardlow Lane; niece – Noelle Noble; chosen son – Murray Mathews.
Pallbearers: Jake Morris, Collin Mathews, Mark Massey, Mitchell Compton, David Davis, Chase Wilson Caregivers: The family would like to extend their love and heartfelt gratitude to Mom’s caregivers - Ashley McCollister, Shant’e McCollister, Patsy Patton, Anastasia Barnes, and housekeeper, Delfina. You will never know the appreciation we have for you. Thank you for loving Mom and Dad as if they were your own. You became part of our family and journeyed through this storm with us. You’ve cried with us, rejoiced with us, worried with us, and laughed with us. Your presence was a consistent comfort in a process that nobody knew how to navigate. May God shower you with blessings every day! All our love!
In lieu of flowers, please donate to The Silver Bell Motley Roughrider Scholarship Fund, PO Box 152, Center, Texas 75935.
Silver’s Wishes: She said, “Do NOT wear black. Dress HAPPY!! Silver said SMILE!!
“May you always have LOVE to share, HEALTH to spare, and FRIENDS to care”