Violet Love Sibley Isaacks

Violet Love Sibley Isaacks passed away April 8, 2014 and went to be with her Lord Jesus Christ. She was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church in Hot Springs, Conway and Fort Smith. She was a member of the Builders Sunday School Class and served for 12 years on the Administrative Board of Fort Smith Methodist Church. Violet was born and reared in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her family, including her four siblings, moved to Conway, Arkansas where she attended Hendrix College and graduated from the school of business at Arkansas State Teachers College (now UCA). She then did title and abstract work for Bahner Abstract Company before marrying Herbert Joseph Howe of Hot Springs, Arkansas. Violet accompanied him during his service as a first lieutenant pilot and instructor in the Army Air Force. She edited an officers' wives newspaper in Marfa, Texas, and was a charter member of the National Association of Air Force Women. Violet was preceded in death by her parents, Rife Wilson Sibley and Violet Love Sibley, and by her husbands, Herbert Joseph Howe, Carl David Burton and Stanley A. Isaacks. Her life was spent in community service, including 16 years as chairman of the State Library Board, 22 years as chairman of the Fort Smith Civic Center Commission Board. She was State Regent of the Daughters of the American Revolution and National Chairman of Public Relations. She served as State President of Colonial Dames of the Seventeenth Century and as Curator General for two years. She was Governor of Jamestowne Society from Arkansas and a member of Magna Charta Dames and Barons. While living in Hot Springs, she was president of the Civic Improvement Association and chairman of the Steering Committee for establishing the Garland County Community College. She served three years on the board of the Old State House in Little Rock. In Hot Springs, she owned the Strand Realty Company as the youngest broker in Arkansas. In later years, she was in the movie theater business, with the Strand Theater and Sunset Drive In Theater in Hot Springs and the 22 Drive In Theater in Fort Smith, Arkansas. At one time she owned Violet's Fashion Shop in Hot Springs. In 1976 she was written about in Personalities of the South. She and Chris Allen taught genealogy for four years at Westark College (now the University of Arkansas Fort Smith) and established the Genealogical Library at the Fort Smith Library. Violet was the author of "Virginia Was Their Home". Today some 1,000 copies of the book are in libraries across the United States. Her last book is " Sibleys and Kin". She was a member for over 35 years of PEO, and President of the National Cemetery Acquisition Commission for over 20 years for the Fort Smith National Cemetery. Violet loved golf and was president of Hardscrabble Women's Golf, and traveled with her husband Stanley, to international golf tours in Ireland, Portugal and Spain. They traveled all over the world in their retirement, one year to London on the QE2 and on the Queen Mary 2 for their last trip to England. She is survived by her most precious gifts from God, a daughter, Patty Howe Criner and her husband Harry Criner of Little Rock, a son, Dr. Herbert Joseph Howe and his wife Cheryl of Hot Springs, and son, Jim Howe of Fort Smith and his fiancee, Holly Harris of Tulsa, Oklahoma. She is also survived by three grandchildren, twins Katie and Jesse Howe of Fort Smith and Keiki Ann Howe of Hot Springs and many Sibley nieces and nephews. She had a host of wonderful friends in Fort Smith whom she loved, especially Kay Dill, Ethel Long, Linda Bradley and her Birthday Club group, and Oklahoma pals Austin and Cole Harris. A Celebration of Life Service will be held in Roebuck Chapel, First United Methodist Church of Fort Smith at 11 a.m. Friday, April 11, 2014, under the direction of Edwards Funeral Home. Private burial will be in U. S. National Cemetery in Fort Smith. The family will visit with friends following the service, in the church narthex. Memorials may be directed to First Methodist Church, 200 N. 15th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 72901 or to First Methodist Church, 1100 Central Avenue, Hot Springs, Ark. 71901, or to Methodist Health and Rehab, 1915 S. 74th Street, Fort Smith, Ark. 72903. Online condolences may sent to www.edwardsfuneralhome.com.