ISOM, BOYD FAMILY

by Harriet Isom

Entry F206 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Boyd Isom family of Girls. Lila (Truesdell), Norma (Keller),
Gail (Drinkwalter), Phyllis (Friend)

1. Virginia Gail was born 1941 in
Mullen, Nebr. Hooker County. Her elemen-
tary education was in Cherry Co. rural
schools. At the age of 13 she started to high
school in Mullen in the fall of 1954. She
stayed with her Uncle Johnnie and Aunt
Lucy Isom during the week. AFter graduation
the spring of 1958, she attended Chadron
State Teacher's College for one year, going to
the Bob Cole school in rural Cherry County
to teach the next school term. Her second
term of teaching was at the Jim Drinkwalter
school also in rural Cherry County. here she
met Bill Drinkwalter. They were married
December 18, 1960 at the Mullen Methodist
Church. When the school term ended, they
moved to Bill's parent's ranch south of
Kilgore, NE. where they resided for 5 years.
Gail continued teaching for the next three
school terms.

On 1965 their daughter Janet
(Mrs. John Farmer) was born in Valentine.
In September of this same year they moved
into Kilgore where Bill was a Mobil Oil
dealer. A second daughter, Karen (Mrs. Mark
Goehring) joined the family on Nov. 8, 1967.

In September, 1970 Bill and Gail pur-
chased the Branding Iron Western Wear and
packaged liquor store at Thedford, Nebraska,
which they still own and operate. Both
daughters were married in 1987.

2. Norma LaVonne born 1943,
started high school at Mullen Sept. 1957. She,
too, lived at the John Isom's her first 2 years
of high school. graduating in May, 1961. She
married Bernard Keller at the Methodist
Church, Mullen, on Sept. 3, 1961. Their first
daughter, Cheryl LaVonne, was born
1962 at the Mullen Memorial Hospital.

In May 1963, they moved to Santa Rosa,
California where Bing began working for
Pacific Airlines. A second Daughter, Lenis
LeAnne, joined the Kellers here on February
25, 1964.

After spending a year in San Francisco,
they moved to Los Vagas, Nev. in October
1968 and are still there. Bing began working
for Pacific Airlines and remained during the
merge with Hughes Air West. When four
Airlines merged and became Republic Air-
lines, Bing continued on as Reservations
Officer. Norma began working for First
Interstate Bank in 1974 and is still there.

3. Phyllis Irene was born in Mullen, NE.
She also attended elementary schools in rural
Cherry Co.; graduating from Mullen High
School in May 1963. That fall she attended
Chadron State College; then to Ray Vogue
School of Interior Design in Chicago and
Bassist School of Modeling. Attendance in
these schools was part of the requirements as
preparation for qualifying as a Flight Atten-
dant on an airline.

Phyllis married Victor Friend on Dec 8,
1979 and moved to Scottsdale, AZ. A son,
Tyler Kent, was born 1985. Later in
1985 they were transferred to Memphis,
Tenn. where they now reside. Both are
employed by Northwest Airlines; Victor as a
pilot and Phyllis as a Flight Attendant.

4. Lila Ruth was born 1949 in
Mullen though, the Isoms were living at the
Carver. Lila attended her first four grades in
a rural school. She graduated from Mullen
High School in May 1967 as class salutato-
rian. In June she attended a Computer
Programming School in CA and graduated in
Nov., 1967. She started as Clerk Typist for
Burroughs Corporation and was General
Manager's Secretary when she transferred to
Western Precipitation Division of Joy Manu-
facturing Company in July 1973. She was
Personnel Associate; interviewing and hiring
employees until leaving there in April 1976.

In October 1976 Lila moved to Bonner's
Ferry, Idaho and was employed by Bank of
Idaho as secretary, teller, and customer
service representative until January 1980.

A move to Cour d'Alene, Idaho resulted in
Lila being employed as Operation Officer for
the First National Bank of North Idaho. She
and her husband, Warren Truesdell, whom
she married in September 1981, spent the
next two years traveling throughout the
western United States, spending two winters
in AZ.

Warren was born and raised at Mullen,
Idaho. He has retired from being the owner
of a thriving Insurance Agency and is now a
part-time employee of a golf course at
Hayden Lake. The business world called and
Lila responded in September 1985 to working
as Office Manager at North Idaho Realty, a
real estate sales firm.

Golfing, bowling, and taking short trips
into the country are hobbies she and Warren
share.