Katherine Isabel Burleigh

Katherine Isabel Redfern Burleigh, born February 25, 1911, in Holdrege Nebraska, cast off her earthly shackles on Thursday, May 22, 2008, and fled this mortal plane. Her passing came unexpectedly, following a brief illness. She was 97. Isabel, as she was known to all, was preceded in death by her husband, Harry P. Burleigh, and her siblings Gordon, Phil, George, Mary, Frank, and Bob. She is survived by her daughter Patricia Laas, her grandsons Christopher and Scott Snell, Her daughter-in-law Marcy Snell, and her great-granddaughters Alison and Alyssa Snell. The world Isabel has left is vastly different than the one she was born into. The year she was born, planes and automobiles were recent, exotic inventions, radio did not yet exist, and women could not yet vote. That year, the first expedition reached the South Pole. Isabel's long life spanned the Jazz Age, the Dust Bowl, the Great Depression, Two World Wars, the Space Age, the rise and fall of the Soviet Empire, and the invention of the Internet. She lived under 17 American Presidents. Isabel was an energetic and capable person, and an active volunteer in many organizations; the American Cancer Society, Gray Ladies, the Literacy Society, the Red Cross, and Hospice were all beneficiaries of her abundant energy and civic spirit. Isabel was a vivacious, sociable, and fun-loving person. She loved to travel, and had many adventures with her husband. After his death, the adventures continued with her daughter, Patricia. She was an avid bridge payer, and achieved the ranking of Life Master in 1983. To know Isabel was to love her, and her passing leaves a void that cannot be filled. She will be deeply missed by family and friends. The family wishes to extend special thanks to the following persons for their compassionate care: Teresa Maijala, Rebecca Rudness, Milagros Tollens, Seed Terranova, and Shelley Yates. Visitation will be Monday May 26 from 6 pm to 8 pm at Wilke-Clay-Fish Funeral Home, 2620 South Congress Avenue. Graveside service will be Tuesday May 27, 11 am at Forest Oaks Memorial Park Cemetery in Oak Hill.