Isabel Fay Rossmiller (Graves)-(Busselli)

Friday, October 12, 2007

Aug. 4, 1909 - Oct. 5, 2005

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Isabel Fay Rossmiller (Graves)-(Busselli) was born Aug. 4, 1909, to Albert E. and Ollie May (Oliver) (Schwyhart) Rossmiller in Dundy County.

She died Oct. 5, 2007, in Glendale, Ariz. Isabel enjoyed life, politics, baseball and visiting with family and friends.

Isabel attended grade school and high school in Palisade. She married Paul William Graves on April 30, 1929. They then moved to Hayes County. To this union two daughters were born, Shirley Lee (Graves) Behnke, born Nov. 11, 1930, and Ila Marie (Graves) Jones, born Dec. 26, 1936.

In 1945, Isabel and Paul moved the family to Wauneta. Then in 1949, they sold the farm and moved to Cunningham, Kan., where they owned and operated a movie theater.

In 1953, Isabel and Paul moved to California. Isabel retired from the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, where she was a telephone switchboard operator. Isabel moved to Mohave Valley, Ariz., in 1971, then to Washington State in 1984. In 1994, she moved to Tonopah, Ariz., then to Glendale, Ariz.,

In 2005, Isabel was looking forward to living to be 100 years old. Daily she watched CNN, C-Span and ESPN and read a variety of newspapers and magazines, keeping up on current events. Unfortunately over the past few months health problems and dementia interrupted this.

Isabel was preceded in death by her half-sister, Mae (Schwyhart) West and husband, Bryant; half-brother, Earl Wells Schwyhart and sister-in-law, Vera (Graham) Schwyhart; daughter, Ila Marie (Graves) Jones and son-in-law, Joseph T. Jones; husband, Paul William Graves; husband, R.C. Busselli; and son-in-law, Robert J. Behnke.

Isabel is survived by one daughter, Shirley; two granddaughters, Kathryn M. (Jones) (Behnke) Hobbs-Peoples and husband, David R. Peoples and Jacqueline S. (Jones) (Behnke) Alexander and husband, Robert G. Alexander; one grandson, Kurtis P. (Jones) Behnke and wife, Kiyomi S. Behnke; three great-granddaughters, Jennifer D. Alexander, Brigitte A. Alexander and Sierra M. Behnke; six step-grandchildren; four step-great-grandchildren; and many nieces, nephews, cousins and friends.

Isabel was kind and loving, witty and opinionated, which was a rare and wonderful combination. She will truly be missed by all who had the privilege of knowing and loving her.

Isabel's wish was to be cremated and to be at rest next to her husband, Paul at Forest Lawn Cemetery in Cypress, Calif.

Graveside services will be at a later date.

The family requests no donations or flowers please, rather only to a hospice of your choice.