Isabel Louise Haffey

Isabel Louise Haffey was born on 28 Jul 1897 in Bay City, Bay, MI, the youngest child of Joseph and Mary (Murphy) Haffey. Various articles in the Bay City Times tell us of parties and outings.  

Treble Clef 1917 

She attended local schools, in 1916 she was a student at the state Normal School in Ypsilanti, Mi, a teachers college.  Her father, Joseph, died while she was still in school. After graduation she taught locally before marrying Francis Martin Madden on 11 Jul 1921 in Bay City

The Bay City Times Tribune described the wedding in the Society column of the next days paper.

Isabel and Francis settled first in Flint, Michigan, where Frank was participating in the transportation business with his brothers.  Shortly after the birth of her second son they moved to Duluth, MN.  Isabel was eager to be part of "society" often living above their means.  Unfortunately, it did not always lead to a happy home.  The family moved around in Duluth over the next twenty years, and two daughters joined the family.  In 1930 a son was lost in childbirth.

They survived the depression and remained in Duluth until after WWII, Frank serving on the rationing board for the duration. After the was they moved to Minneapolis where Frank went to work for Northwest Airlines and Isabel began teaching art in the local catholic school. They purchased their first home there, using the veteran's benefits of their son Jim.

Over the years three of Isabel's four children had ended up in California, so as Frank's health failed they decided to move in 1966.  She had moved Frank temporarily in with Jim's family while she went back to Minneapolis to pack up the house.  Franks went steadily downhill and was in the hospital by the time she returned.  

She buried him in Bay City and then settled in San Diego for near her sister Grace for a while.  

Isabel was very outgoing and could be a lot of fun.  In my senior year of high school, a group of us took a road trip to visit colleges and my friends had a great couple of days staying with her.

Lots of fun doesn't necessarily lead to easy to live with.  Her relationship with all of her children was always tenuous especially with my father.  She was very self-centered, and intolerant of any number of things, including the life choices of many family members.  One of my favorite stories to tell occurred when my daughters were three and five.  She had by that time move to the San Francisco Bay area where both of her daughters lived, and where Greg and I had settled.  

I would take turns with my Aunt Jane taking her shopping and to appointments.  This particular day she was visiting for a while before I took her home.  She decided to teach the girls how to play Spite and Malice while I was fixing lunch.  She told them the rules and lo and behold my daughters were really bright and caught on right away.  Now I ask you, if you as an adult were playing cards with a three and five year old wouldn't you maybe go slow, give them a little leeway.  Well, my girls were quite smart and got the game right away.  They were winning.  As I came to call them to lunch, I heard Grammy changing the rules so that SHE WOULD WIN!!!  I don't think they could quite believe it and they were ready to quit for lunch.  That was my grandmother.  I did dearly love her but I was one of a very few, I can't help thinking her dissatisfaction with everything was of her own making.

As her health deteriorated and she needed to go into a care home, Grammy decided to move once again.  Her son Tom had retired to Sun City, Arizona so she found a home there.  She died in the Cosada Villa Nursing Home in Mesa, AZ on 30 Jul 1989 at the age of 92.  She is buried in St. Patrick's Cemetery in Bay City, MI.