Isabelle Psalmonds

Mrs. Isabelle Psalmonds, 92, of Paragould passed away on Monday, July 26, at Arkansas Methodist Medical Center. Visitation will be at noon on Thursday at First Baptist Church, Paragould, with the service to follow at 1:00 p.m. there. Isabelle was born on January 14, 1918, in Hayti, Missouri, but grew up in Stuttgart, Arkansas, and graduated from Stuttgart High School. Both Isabelle and her husband Alfred gave their hearts to the Lord at an early age. Isabelle met her beloved husband of 57 years, Alfred, during World War II when he was in the Army Air Corps stationed at the Air Base in Stuttgart. They were married in Stuttgart on October 3, 1943 and lived there after Alfred was discharged from the Army in December of 1945. When Alfred committed his life to full-time ministry in 1948 at the First Baptist Church of Stuttgart, Isabelle and Alfred enrolled in Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois, and graduated from Moody in 1952. From 1952 to 1957, Isabelle served alongside her husband in a missionary pastorate in three Southern Baptist churches in Newton County, Arkansas: Deer, Cassville, and Boxley. Isabelle and Alfred were House Parents for teenage boys at the Baptist Children’s Home in Monticello from 1957 to 1958. In the fall of 1958 they enrolled in Southern Baptist College at Walnut Ridge and graduated from SBC in 1960. While students there, Alfred pastored the College City Church until they were called to the Unity Baptist Church in Greene County in 1959. Isabelle and Alfred pastored in Unity, Eight Mile, Brighton, and Robbs Chapel churches in Greene County and the New Antioch Baptist Church in Mt. Zion Baptist Association. Isabelle was active in all these churches. She was employed as District Secretary by the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department. Alfred retired from the active pastorate in 1981 and Isabelle retired from the Arkansas Highway Department in 1983. They taught Bible classes and served in various other activities in First Baptist Church, Paragould. Isabelle and Alfred had a heart for missions. Among her photo albums was one from their time at Moody Bible Institute with the names of fellow students and where they were currently serving on the mission field. Isabelle and Alfred were careful stewards of everything God gave them. Alfred was a gifted carpenter who made several pieces of furniture in their home. They were examples of Proverbs 30:25, “Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.” Their lives were characterized by thrift and stewardship, so much so that upon her death Isabelle realized their life-long dream of endowing Moody Bible Institute with a significant legacy. Isabelle loved to sew, cook, and can vegetables. She blessed her nieces and nephews with gifts of homemade cookies and candies at Christmas. She was a loving, caring homemaker who loved to share with others. She is predeceased by her husband, Reverend Alfred Watson Psalmonds. She is survived by her sister, Virginia Strawn, and a nephew, Roy Strawn, both of Sun City, Arizona; three nieces, Carol Anne Leonard Posey, Sandra Leonard Brewer, Jennifer Leonard Napier, all of Memphis, Tennessee; other nieces and nephews are Sharon Phillips Tarter and Marsha Phillips of El Paso, Texas; Peggy St. John of Alexandria, Louisiana, Donald Wayne St. John of Ruidoso, New Mexico, Billie Ruth Psalmonds Schwartz of Tacoma, Washington, and Phillip Wayne Psalmonds of Las Vegas, Nevada. The family requests that in lieu of flowers, any memorials be sent to the First Baptist Church of Paragould or to Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. To sign online registry, go to www.heathfuneralhome.com.