Jeannette Lois Bell (; born September 2, 1941) is an American Democratic politician and social worker from

Wisconsin Wisconsin () is a state in the upper Midwestern United States. Wisconsin is the 25th-largest state by total area and the 20th-most populous. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake M ...

Early life and education

Bell was born on September 2, 1941, in

Milwaukee, Wisconsin Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at th ...

. Her parents are Harold Arthur Jeske and Luella Ruth Jeske (née Block). She graduated from

Rufus King International High School Rufus King International High School, or Rufus King, is a public magnet high school located on the north side of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, part of the Milwaukee Public Schools district. The school is ranked the 1,658th best public high school in the c ...

and received her bachelor's degree in legal studies from the

University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee The University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee (UW–Milwaukee, UWM, or Milwaukee) is a public urban research university in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It is the largest university in the Milwaukee metropolitan area and a member of the University of Wiscons ...

in 1988. She worked in a nursing home as an activities coordinator and as the supervisor of a youth employment program.

Political career

From 1983 until 1997, Bell served in the

Wisconsin State Assembly The Wisconsin State Assembly is the lower house of the Wisconsin Legislature. Together with the smaller Wisconsin Senate, the two constitute the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Representatives are elected for two-year terms, ...

. In 1996, Bell resigned from the Wisconsin State Assembly to serve as Mayor of

West Allis, Wisconsin West Allis is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. A suburb of Milwaukee, it is part of the Milwaukee metropolitan area. The population was 60,325 at the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. Histo ...

until her retirement in 2008.2007 Wisconsin Assembly Joint Resolution100-Mayor Jeannette Bell
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Personal life

She married Chester Robert Bell and they have three children: Chester III, Colleen and Edith.

Notes

Politicians from Milwaukee People from West Allis, Wisconsin University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee alumni Democratic Party members of the Wisconsin State Assembly Women mayors of places in Wisconsin Women state legislators in Wisconsin Mayors of places in Wisconsin 1941 births Living people Rufus King International High School alumni 21st-century American women {{Wisconsin-mayor-stub