Isabel Amelia (Nash) Means was born on July 24, 1930, to Earl and Edith (Hall) Nash in the rural Chelsea, SD area. Isabel attended school through her senior year in Cresbard, SD. After attending college to take a teaching course, she joined the work force in Aberdeen, SD as a teacher. Isabel met her future husband while having a pair of shoes repaired. Merlin Wade Means was the manager of the shoe store where she bought her shoes on that fateful day. They married on February 18, 1950.
Isabel quit teaching in order to raise her family. Her first three children were born in Aberdeen, SD. The family then moved to Mobridge, SD when her husband found a better paying job-still a shoe salesman. They had a “second family” while in Mobridge and increased their children count to five.
In February, 1964, they again moved to a better quality of life to the town of Sidney, MT where they stayed. In 1967, Isabel started a daycare business out of her home to supplement their family income. Isabel was responsible for the formative years of over 100 children during her 50 years as a daycare provider. She never went anywhere without kids or moms stopping her to give her a hug and a big how are you.
Isabel died early Thursday morning, April 13, 2017, at the Sidney Health Center Extended Care. Isabel is survived by her five children: Patricia (Bruce) Knoepke, Beatrice (Gary) Fuhrmann, Willard (Donna) Means, Beverly (Sam) Greenslate, and Joan (Dave) Horton; her grandkids, Jana (Bryan) MacGillivary, Bobbi Jo (Kevin) Goff, Joshua (Amanda) Bartels, Brandon Fuhrmann, Kevin (Courtney) Means, Michael (Melissa) Means, Katie Means, Shane (Rei) Greenslate, Sarah (Kyle) Eden, Sean Manning and Mark Manning; her 26 great-grandchildren; and her sister, Mary Ann Crane.
Isabel was preceded in death by: her parents, her husband-Merlin, her baby boy, her brothers, Oscar, Gordon, Orville, Elmer, Keith, and Dale.