Marynel "Nell" Virginia Hammond Isbell

Marynel (Nell) Virginia Hammond Isbell passed away Tuesday November 28th at the age of 95. Nell was born in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on June 6, 1922 in Sycamore, AL to John Wood Hammond and Willie Lucinda Bates Hammond. She was predeceased by her oldest sister Helen Freedon Hammond at the age of five and Nell got pneumonia at age three and was given up for death when she told her mother what heaven was like and that is exactly what her older sister had said, but the Lord spared her for many more years of ministry in her life. Her family eventually moved to Munford, Al where she graduated from high school as valedictorian, and crowned Harvest Queen. She then went on to Auburn University where she met her husband William Jesse (W.J.) Isbell, Jr. who graduated in veterinary medicine. They married in Auburn, AL on July 11, 1942 and moved to Talladega, AL to set up a veterinary practice. Nell went to work during the war as many women did preparing ammunition for the howitzers. In December 1943, Nell and WJ were blessed with a baby boy named William Jesse Isbell, III. Approximately 5 years later Nell and WJ moved to Langdale, AL and they took over WJ's father's veterinary practice; where Nell became WJ's assistant in the hospital. At this time they had a daughter, Marcia Faye (Cissy) Isbell, born in May 1946. After fifteen years of veterinary practice Nell and WJ felt the Lord call them to full time religious work, and they moved to Montgomery, AL, Here Nell became executive secretary for the Director of Pastors Retirement Plan and then for the Alabama Baptist Woman’s Missionary Union until they moved to Memphis, TN. At this time she went to work for an Engineering Firm for seven years. They then moved to Dallas, TX where she served as an executive secretary for the Southern Baptist Foundation, The Southern Baptist Radio and Television Commission, and finally to The Southern Baptist Annuity Board until she retired. During her career, Nell was a Bible studies teacher in each of the churches she was a member of until such time as she had to give it up due to physical difficulties, but she never stopped contributing to her church or the Lord's work around the world. During Nell's life she was always involved in ministries, working in her community, as well as her state and the world. She went to Mexico to build churches, and start Bible studies, also to Cuba to distribute Bibles, South Korea, Wales, Australia, Japan, Hong Kong, and Yugoslavia to spread the word of God. In civic ministries she worked with the American Red Cross and American Cancer Society. She was predeceased by her husband William Jesse (WJ) Isbell, Jr. in October 2011. She is survived by her two children William Jesse (Jay) Isbell, III and Marcia Faye (Cissy) Isbell; her two grandchildren William Jesse (PJ) Isbell IV, (Jenny) and John Wood (Woody) Isbell, (Madison) as well as her great grandchildren: William Jesse (Liam) Isbell V, River Grace Isbell, Haven Elise Isbell, Judah Wood Isbell, and her newest grandson, Isaac Ransom Isbell. Visitation will be at Hunter Street Baptist Church Chapel, Friday, Dec. 1st 4pm-7pm. Gravesite service at Auburn Memorial Park Cemetery, Saturday, Dec. 2nd 11am. In Lieu of flowers, please make donations to Samaritan's Purse International Relief.

Marynel "Nell" Virginia Hammond Isbell

June 6, 1922 - November 28, 2017