"Mrs. Isenberg was a great lady. I had the chance to meet her a few times while I was in college in the late 80s and early 90s, while visiting with her son. I still use an Afghan blanket she made for me back then. My condolences to her family and other friends. She will be missed."
In loving memory of
Louise Isenberg
May 8, 1928 - January 2, 2019
Louise V. (Szuba) Isenberg (90), of Boone, Iowa, passed away after a brief illness on January 2, 2019.
Louise was born in East Syracuse, New York on May 8, 1928, the youngest child of Jan and Anna Szuba.
She worked for various airlines as a ticket and air freight clerk, eventually earning a position as a joint airline ticket agent for the Army at Edgewood Arsenal in Maryland. She was the first woman to hold such a position. While working in that role, she married Wilbur Isenberg, an army helicopter pilot at the arsenal, and had their son, Joseph.
Louise and Wilbur moved to central Iowa upon Wilbur's retirement from the Army in 1967. They opened Hawkeye Rotor and Wing flight school in Nevada, Iowa, the first FAA-approved helicopter school west of the Mississippi. Louise conducted the business work of the school, while Wilbur taught and flew. After the closure of the school in the late 1970's, Louise worked as a machine operator for Donnelley Marketing in Nevada, and then, upon Wilbur's death, as a retail clerk in Ames, Iowa, at Ames Greenhouse and Antiques, and at the lawn and garden department at WalMart. At a time when many would have retired, Louise moved to Boone, Iowa, purchased and managed a rental property, and continued to work at the lawn and garden department in WalMart in Boone.
Louise was very fond of gardening, crocheting and knitting, and craft projects. She also greatly enjoyed socializing with her friends in local cafes.
Louise is preceded in death by her parents, brothers and sisters, and her husband. She is survived by her son Joseph and many nieces and nephews.
No formal services are planned in Iowa, however a memorial dinner will be held starting at 5 PM on January 26, 2019 at the Pizza Ranch in Boone, Iowa. A memorial service and memorial dinner will be held in Syracuse, New York in May for the family. Burial will be in the Isenberg family plot in Catlett, Virginia.
Arrangements are being handled by the Grandon Funeral Home of Ames, Iowa, and further details of the planned services may be found on their website www.grandonfuneralandcremationcare.com . Memorial cards may be sent to Joseph Isenberg, 809 Wheeler Street, Suite 110 #203, Ames, Iowa