ISABELLE, PIONEER!

ISABELLE, PIONEER!

 

When I think of my friend Isabelle I think of home and family, love and good humor. With gracious, open arms she welcomes all. As a mom, separated for five years, who has raised three amazing children, they all shine with the virtues of honesty, integrity, reliability, excellent work ethic, dependability and resilience. They love to laugh and find the good in things.

 

As the two older children have become young adults and set out on their own, handling the 40 acres of farmland became too much for Isabelle and her youngest daughter. Isabelle has in recent years undergone cancer surgery and recovery as well. The family raised many animals and their beautiful golden retriever pups that were the mainstay of Isabelle's income.

 

A family meeting was held. They discussed the situation and tearfully reached a decision. The resulting action in following months was that Isabelle would move with her youngest daughter from Colorado to a smaller home and property which they found across the country in Iowa. Son Nic was soon to join them in that area in his own home. Both Nic and Isabelle immediately found work and the youngest daughter started school and made new friends. 

 

The soon-to-be-ex had been living with his other family for four years during the lengthy separation. She felt they had agreed to cordially discuss a final divorce settlement. However, shortly after Isabelle's family arrived in Iowa with moving trucks, she was served with divorce papers. She had to locate an attorney to represent her in Colorado. With the demands of a major move, enrolling her daughter in school, getting the golden retrievers settled, and finding a job, her hands were full. I searched for Bar Association ratings and sent the names of top ranked attorneys to her, and she was also searching. Upon interviews by phone she decided to retain an attorney with expertise in both divorce and real estate law.

 

Isabelle's pioneer saga continues as she strives to settle in their new home.  The bank will get the property in Colorado if she can't keep up that mortgage and she will get nothing from those years of hard work when she paid the mortgage, put a new roof on the house, installed new windows, furnace and pressure tank for the water system, and did all maintenance. She must replace the septic system, but that has to wait. She is asking the attorney if they can rent the property, even a portion of it like the horse barn, yet has no way currently to get any income from that property. The golden retriever market has fallen since Covid and she must rehome her remaining adult goldens.  She has rent on her current residence to pay.

 

Isabelle has true pioneer spirit and keeps going, surmounting obstacles, aiming to keep up morale.  Yet, she could lose years of dedication and hard work and her Colorado property. She has established a home and new life for herself and her daughter. She works full time and son Nic has moved across the country and is nearby to help as much as he can. The daughter in Colorado helps when she can. They are all pulling together, and could use any and all the help we can give them to get through this tremendously tough time. Any gift you can send to Isabelle will be so truly appreciated by her and her family.

Thank you.