I guess you could say Isabel’s life history started in South Carolina, in that her mom was carrying her when they came out west. Isabel was born on July 14th, 1929 in Malott, WA, 1 of 7 children of Hettie and Sidney Denton, in a little house, as that was the way it was done then. As chronicled by Isabel, “…the next thing I remember, was when we lived in the house that dad and the boys, AC and Ervin, built. I even helped at pounding a few nails myself. We had an old root cellar on this property and an ice house with a lot of sawdust in it where dad would take the ice off the Okanogan River for our ice box as there were no refrigerators, and for making ice cream in the summer months. The ice seemed to be about 2 foot square and he used horses and a sled to bring them home. The weather has changed quite considerably. We kids would walk to school with scarves wrapped around our faces and walked with our backs to the wind so we could breathe. It was so cold. We also had to wear long underwear which I hated, but it kept us warm. This was the house in Malott that the flood in 1938 swept away along with all our belongings. Wagner’s Millpond dirt dam broke and swept away 26 homes along with several commercial buildings. A sad time for our family because we only had the clothes on our backs, but thankfully no one was killed or injured.”
“After the flood, the Red Cross came in and set us up for housekeeping again. A refrigerator came into the home and a lot of other nice things that we didn’t have before but there was no way to replace the personal items like family photos, my mom’s long braided hair that was in her cedar chest, a big doll that I had on my shelf, and a special frilly dress. But life goes on and we lived in the house that the Red Cross supplied for a few years. It was the one next door to the one mom lived in when she died.”
“Our next move was to the house located across the street from Gene Smiths family, a nicer home with inside bathrooms and running water for the first time with plenty of property for a cow, raising chickens, a pig, and a garden. Life was so good. I finished high school graduating from Okanogan High School in 1947 and married my husband John O’Brien shortly after “graduation.
“In 1949, Kenneth Dwain, our first of four children was born. We then had a little girl in 1953 named Joni Jean who died at 4 months old due to a hole in her heart. This was a pretty hard time for John and I as I had a nervous breakdown shortly after losing Joni, but life turned around for the better in the midst of that dark time as God stepped in at the right moment. Some ladies from the Omak Assembly of God church came and visited me and shared the gospel with me. I knew it was the truth and it seemed like a natural step to asked Jesus to come in to my life, to give me hope and strength that I didn’t have before. A big change came in my heart. Call it born again or whatever but I’m glad it happened as I was a new person I never could have been without his strength in me, and I’m happy because He is with me now, and will be with me when I pass on into eternity which has brought me a lot of peace. Can’t ask for a better deal than that and it’s all been paid for by Jesus blood, we just need to accept it, each one, for ourselves.”
“In 1958 we made the big move to the coast settling in Renton Washington where I started attending Renton Assembly of God at the suggestion from the pastor in Omak. At this time my husband was not serving the Lord, but I committed to attending without him and brought Kenneth with me.”
“Then the miracle of miracles. When Kenneth was 12 years old we had another boy, John David in 1962. Two and a half years later in 1964 another boy, Sidney Dean was born. Kenneth was a built in baby sitter and was very proud of his little brothers. He was like a little daddy to them. The doctor had a complete blood transfusion ready for each child, but I knew in my heart that they would be ok, and they were. I had some kind of RH factor blood that the doctor told me could produce healthy children or maybe not, but it was a chance I would take. This was the reason that Joni had trouble.”
“I became a very busy mother raising these two boys and keeping up with Ken’s activities. Also at this time we were practicing as a group (The O’Brien Family with Dale Starcher, and later the Instruments of Peace) and traveled on the weekends playing wherever there was a call that came for us. During these years I also worked as a waitress and then at the Boeing Airplane Company as a blueprint clerk. We were very busy and I wonder now how we ever did it all, but we sure did enjoy those years.”
“John and I retired in 1989 from Boeing and took a trip back East to Nashville, TN and South Carolina. This was exciting for us, not only to be in Nashville, the Country music city as we were so country ourselves, but also to visit the places in South Carolina where my mom and dad lived and went to church. My relatives were so good to us and took us to so many places. We were gone for 52 days, but it seemed like 2 years. We were so glad to get back home to our family and church as we’re really not travelers and so enjoy staying home.”
While attending Renton Assembly of God, now New Life Church, from 1957 to 2019, Isabel faithfully served her Lord, and loved working for Him. Here are just a few areas she served over the years.
She sang in the choir for over 35 years.
Worked in and cleaned the nurseries.
Taught a Sunday School class.
Cooked and helped with gym night when John and Sid were in the youth department.
Was part of a home visitation team.
Led worship in the Seniors Ministry with a band consisting of several of the more talented seniors.
Helped schedule trips and outings for the Seniors.
Helped prepare food and clean up after the Senior Luncheons.
Helped clean the kitchen and order supplies.
Prepared communion.
Part of a Monday morning prayer group.
As age came on, she prayed at home, made phone calls, and sent cards to encourage others.
Before going into Hospice Care, mom was resisting leaving her retirement community at Merrill Gardens because she still had ministry to do, and even up to her death she had an amazing impact on those around her, both staff and residents. We will miss her deeply, but look forward with heightened anticipation to be with her again.
Isabel left this world on April 20th, 2019 at 4:30pm at the Evergreen Hospice Care Center in Kirkland WA, and immediately entered into heaven where she met Jesus her Lord and Savior face to face, and was reunited with family and friends who went on before her.
Isabel is preceded in death by her daughter Joni Jean, mother and father Hettie and Sidney Denton, step father Leonard Cushen, brothers Ervin, AC, and Dwain, sisters Wilma and Ruby Jean, mother and father in law Dean and Ruby O’Brien, Brother In-law Ken O’Brien, and loving husband John O’Brien.
She is survived by her sister Marie Hammer of Fort Fraser BC, her 3 sons Ken and his wife Debbie, John and his wife Patty, Sid and his wife Cindy; 8 grandchildren Joe and his wife Lisa, Brant and his wife Mikayla, Charissa Samco O’Brien and her husband Philip, Rachel, Micah and his wife Brittney, Levi and his wife Vanessa, Kelsey Harms O’Brien and her husband Sam, and Connor and his wife Desiray, and 8 great grandchildren (Chelsea, Lindsey, Hailey Rose, Eli, Lucy, Emmy, Macy and Logan.
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