Obituary of Velma Alice Isbell
V. Alice Isbell graduated to a higher school than this earthly one on 30 December, 2022. She is preceded in death by her entire birth family, her much loved husband M. Melvin Isbell and a whole lot of extended family and friends. Alice always said she was a dinosaur that got missed by the giant meteor that killed everyone else on the planet.
It’s surprisingly difficult to condense her life into a couple of paragraphs. She lived through so many of the defining moments of our country. She was shaped by the major events (except cell phones that remained a baffling mystery), everything from WW2 that happened when she was 10 years & 2 days old to do it yourself check outs at groceries. I’ve heard the story of how she learned of WW2 many times. She never forgot it. Presidents have been shot, wars have been fought but she remained the same person she was her entire life. Since the meek inherit the earth you all can count on her becoming Queen.
She is survived by her children and their spouses, Daniel (Irene), Emily (John), Andy and Ralph (Davina). Her Grandson Zachary and his 4 children that made her a great grandma which tickled her a lot. Not everyone gets to be a great grandma. To the genealogist that finds this obituary sometime in the future, it was impossible to mention everyone she was related to and everyone she loved. You’ll have to look elsewhere for documentation.
Alice lived and Alice loved. She taught all of us how to love unconditionally although none of us mastered that skill. The love she had for her husband and how she took care of him for so many years is astonishing. You can’t fairly talk about her without talking about him. They were a team, a unit, they had an unbreakable bond. In all our years together, I can’t remember a cross word between them. They delighted in each other’s lives. Her main goal in life from the time she was a young child was to be a Mother. I’m convinced God knew he had these 4 misfit souls that needed to be raised so he blessed her with myself and my brothers. She loved us no matter what terrible decisions we made, which were legion.
There will be a private burial at Chapel Hill Butler cemetery. After the weather warms up in Kansas, we will hold a Celebration of life event to which everyone is invited. I think we will need to rent Royals stadium if it’s going to include everyone whose life she touched in a positive way. Her motto was “it’s so easy to be kind” and she didn’t just say it. She lived it. She was the kindest person I have ever known.
In lieu of flowers, we ask that you hug someone you love and be kind to a stranger. That’s the best way to remember her because that’s how she lived.
