Whitman - Isabelle S. (Thorburn) Smith went to be with her Lord on Monday, September 08, 2014.
She was born in Whitman on August 24, 1912, the daughter of John and Mattie (Dodge) Thorburn. She had recently celebrated her 102 birthday at Wingate in Kingston where she had resided for the past nineteen months.
She was a resident of Whitman for over 100 years, attended the Dyer School, and graduated from Whitman High School in 1931 as the class historian. In her younger years she was a member of the Whitman Mothers’ Club and the Republican Town Committee. She was a life-long member of the former First Baptist Church, serving as the Church Historian, Sunday School Superintendent, President of the Missionary Society, and a member of the Wolforth Class. Until her move to Wingate she regularly attended The First Baptist Church of Abington.
She was known for making beautiful patchwork quilts, particularly in pink and blue as gifts for newborns. She also enjoyed knitting, crocheting, and doing crossword puzzles. Everyone at Wingate knew her as the “little white haired lady” who loved to do jigsaw puzzles and they marveled at the knitted dolls she made for the Church Fair.
Isabelle was predeceased by her husband, Harmon Smith, and her brothers, Richard and Brewster Thorburn. She is survived by her children Joan Brides and her husband, Philip, and James Smith and his wife, Nancy; her grandchildren J. Michael Brides and his wife Janet, and Jennifer Brides Mathias and her husband, Jeffrey; and her beloved great grandchildren Matthew, Nathaniel, William, Sarah, Hayden Elizabeth, Heidi, and Caleb. She is also survived by many nieces, nephews and friends.
A celebration of her life will be held on Saturday, September 13, 2014, at 11:00 a.m. in the Blanchard Funeral Chapel, Plymouth Street, (Rte. 58 @ the rotary) Whitman, with visitation prior to the service from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. Burial will follow the service in the Northville Cemetery, East Bridgewater.
In lieu of flowers the family would appreciate donations in her name to the Memorial Fund at the First Baptist Church of Abington, P.O. Box 25, Abington, MA 02351.