Ida Bell Williams-Cheatham was born to the late Floyd Williams Sr. and Cornelia Madison-Williams on April 24th, 1936, in Marshall, TX. She met and married James Morris Cheatham, and from this union came six children. They were lovingly married for over 60 years. She accepted Christ as her Lord and Savior at an early age uniting with the Pleasant Hill CME Church Karnack, TX. After moving to Dallas, she became a faithful servant of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church under the leadership of the late Pastor William E. Spears and Pastor W.E. Wyatt Sr. until her health failed. Her service to the church was extensive. She proudly served as Deaconess Chair, Mission Chorus, Senior Choir, Sunday School Teacher, Van Driver, and Church Mother, demonstrating her deep faith and commitment.

Ida Bell was a leader in her community. She was elected as the South Oak Cliff H.S. Band Parent President, served as a National Childcare Association Board Member, and led as the President of the Oak Cliff Child Care Association. Her leadership roles were a testament to her influence. She graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and afterward attended Eastfield Community College, where she studied and received an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) degree. She was employed with Marriott Motor Hotels and Methodist Medical Center, where she retired. In 1978, she fulfilled her lifelong dream of becoming an entrepreneur, starting with real estate acquisitions and later building an early child development center known as Gran's Lil Angels Achievement Academy, where she was affectionately known as Gran.

She was preceded in death by her husband, James Morris Cheatham; baby girl, Betsy Cheatham; parents, Floyd and Cornelia Williams; siblings, Marvin Battee (Boy), Louis Battee Sr. (Lil Bud), Eddie Battee (Bruh), Willie Mae Riley, Ollie Lee Fisher, Essie Battee (Big Baby), Florence Gill (Sister), Nellie Jerry, Floyd Williams Jr.(Jabo), Aressa Jones (Lillian), L.D. Williams Sr.; Katherine B Taylor, James Williams, Windell Williams Sr, son-in-law, Leo Jason Adams Sr.

She leaves to carry on her legacy of love six children: three daughters, Joyce F. Sterling, Lancaster, TX., Sheila L. Adams, Desoto, TX., Belinda K. Hardy (Rufus), Flower Mound, TX., three sons, Carl A. Cheatham Saginaw, TX., Otis M. Cheatham, Dallas, TX., Calvin R. Cheatham (Sheryl), Desoto, TX., 21 grandchildren; 40 great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; one sister, Mattie B. Moore, Shreveport, LA., one brother-in-law, Rev. Freddie Cheatham (Iola), Dallas, TX., one sister-in-law, Barbara Williams, Dallas, TX., and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, and many other relatives and friends.