## Narrative Summary of the Obituary

Rev. John B. Isom, born 2 Dec 1909 near Albertville, Alabama, died 23 Apr 2004 in Tucson, Arizona. He served as minister in Des Moines, Iowa, and Wichita, Kansas. Survived by wife Elien, two daughters, two sons-in-law, two granddaughters, and a sister.

## Narrative Summary of Funeral Services

A memorial service for Rev. John B. Isom was planned for early Sep 2004. Contributions were requested to be made to the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines at 1800 Bell Avenue, 50315.

## Transcript

REV. JOHN B. ISOM, Tucson, AZ

Rev. John B. Isom, minister of the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, Iowa from 1961 to 1974, died on 23 April 2004 in Tucson, Arizona from complications following hip surgery. John was born 2 December 1909 near Albertville, Alabama. Before coming to Des Moines, he served the Unitarian Church in Wichita, Kansas.

John is survived by his wife, Elien Isom; daughter and son-in-law, Rose Elien and Murphy Bowser; daughter and son-in-law, Mary Elizabeth Isom and Wayne B. Koral; granddaughters, Kahti Elien Bowser and Mary Caroline Bowser; sister, Annabelle Garrison; an extended family of cousins, nieces and nephews in Alabama; and so many wonderful and much loved friends in Des Moines and Wichita.

A memorial service is planned sometime in early September. In lieu of flowers, the family requests contributions be made to the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines at 1800 Bell Avenue, 50315.

[Publication: The Des Moines Register, 30 April 2004, Page 23]

## Vital Statistics Summary

| Field   | Information                                |
|---------|--------------------------------------------|
| Name    | Rev. John B. Isom                          |
| Age     | 94 years                                   |
| Birth   | 2 December 1909; near Albertville, Alabama |
| Death   | 23 April 2004; Tucson, Arizona             |
## Table of Relationships

| Name                   | Relationship     | Residence  |
|------------------------|------------------|------------|
| Rev. John B. Isom      | Decedent         | Tucson, AZ |
| Elien Isom             | Wife             | Unknown    |
| Rose Elien Bowser      | Daughter         | Unknown    |
| Murphy Bowser          | Son-in-law       | Unknown    |
| Mary Elizabeth Isom    | Daughter         | Unknown    |
| Wayne B. Koral         | Son-in-law       | Unknown    |
| Kahti Elien Bowser     | Granddaughter    | Unknown    |
| Mary Caroline Bowser   | Granddaughter    | Unknown    |
| Annabelle Garrison     | Sister           | Unknown    |
## Publication Details

| Field         | Information             |
|---------------|---------------          |
| Newspaper     | The Des Moines Register |
| Date          | 30 April 2004           |
| Page          | 23                      |
## Other Relevant Information

Rev. John B. Isom graduated with a master's in theology from the Baptist Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky in 1939. He served as an Army chaplain during World War II. In 1944, he became pastor of the Saxon Baptist Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Isom left the Baptist denomination in 1951 to become a Unitarian minister. He retired from the First Unitarian Church of Des Moines, Iowa in 1975[1].