What Lynn Said at the Service
Izeller Snead Memorial
by
Lynn Walford
I met Izeller at the Fair Oaks Orange Grove. Project Area Committee, aka the PAC. I used to call her because I was crying over something or another. She was always kind, wise and caring towards me and I had a lot to learn from her about neighborhoods, politics and life.
Whenever I became impatient she would say, “Redevelopment takes a minimum of 35 years.” That’s one way to learn patience.
During the course of our meetings the members would fight, I mean, argue, no I mean engage in heated discussions. Izeller always kept her cool, and knew the right light calm thing to say for the good of the community.
For example, there was problem on a corner where the cars kept running into the buildings. The property owners nearby were fighting, I mean “discussing issues” over how to take care of the problem. We did not have an answer and were exhausted. Izeller just said, “Put some of those big Arroyo rocks there and they will protect the buildings.”
There was big silence and everyone sighed with relief. She was very practical and always looked at the solution not the problem.
One time, it was brought up that the streets in the neighborhood were not cleaned properly. We received a huge map with a grid of cleaning days and times with all kinds of funny arrows and markings on it. We couldn’t even figure out what the chart meant, nonetheless, Izeller took one minute and suggested changes that would keep both sides of the street clean at the same time.
At another meeting, regarding a traffic issue, several people blew their tops, I mean submitted their opinions. When the smoke cleared she simply said, “That corner needs a stop sign, to slow the traffic.”
Izeller had incredible knack for looking at buildings and seeing how to make them beautiful. When she discovered that building on Fair Oaks had gone through the review process and an important aesthetic design element was missing, she made sure that developer and designer were contacted helping to make a more beautiful building, street and neighborhood.
There was an added bonus, it was Izeller who invited me to join the W.D. Edson Neighborhood Association and their annual picnic---I was the first time this Northerner had ever tasted homemade peach cobbler, which is the best dessert I have tasted. . I am truly grateful for that experience.
After I retired from the PAC, Izeller attended my computer classes where I was teaching and we carpooled on Tuesdays. They were “Tuesdays with Morrie.” except replace the name with Izeller.
Her ability to assess a situation and say a few words about it that cut through to the truth, will always be with me. She was an excellent typist clocking in at 65-75 words a minute and enjoyed many aspects of wordprocessing and the Internet including maps. Now that I know that she was an assessor for the county it makes sense, she could read the map of the situation and find the best route for success.
She loved seeing the improvements in the neighborhood, she was excited for me when I finally got my house painted after 4 years. She always showed up when I needed her. I remember several wonderful conversations while she was watering her beloved roses in the front of her house. Another favorite phrase of hers when I was not getting what I wanted was, “It’s the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
Well, things around me have been very well oiled…
I last spoke to Izeller on Memorial Day. She gave me some practical advice about how to deal with yet another house problem. Her very last words to me were, “You take care of yourself.”
When her daughter, Eileen called me and told me the news I was very upset, but also honored to share my love of Izeller’s wisdom.
Izeller loved the beauty in the area, and she referred to the night as she looked out on the top of Lake Avenue as diamonds on black velvet.
When I asked Eileen, “Isn’t going to look strange having a pale-face speak at your mother’s service.” She told me what Izeller always told me herself, “Mom viewed people only by what is radiated from their hearts.”
Yet another lesson, I learned from Izeller who was solid as a rock, kept her side of the street (and all our streets) clean, took time to stop and see the beauty all around her while reminding us to be sure to take care of ourselves.
Today, I would like to celebrate Izeller Snead’s contributions to our lives: beautiful buildings, clean streets, roses, calmed traffic, protected buildings, peace-making, community and wisdom. For she truly was someone who radiated only love from her heart, a diamond sparkling on a fine black velvet panorama of a great life.
by
Lynn Walford
I met Izeller at the Fair Oaks Orange Grove. Project Area Committee, aka the PAC. I used to call her because I was crying over something or another. She was always kind, wise and caring towards me and I had a lot to learn from her about neighborhoods, politics and life.
Whenever I became impatient she would say, “Redevelopment takes a minimum of 35 years.” That’s one way to learn patience.
During the course of our meetings the members would fight, I mean, argue, no I mean engage in heated discussions. Izeller always kept her cool, and knew the right light calm thing to say for the good of the community.
For example, there was problem on a corner where the cars kept running into the buildings. The property owners nearby were fighting, I mean “discussing issues” over how to take care of the problem. We did not have an answer and were exhausted. Izeller just said, “Put some of those big Arroyo rocks there and they will protect the buildings.”
There was big silence and everyone sighed with relief. She was very practical and always looked at the solution not the problem.
One time, it was brought up that the streets in the neighborhood were not cleaned properly. We received a huge map with a grid of cleaning days and times with all kinds of funny arrows and markings on it. We couldn’t even figure out what the chart meant, nonetheless, Izeller took one minute and suggested changes that would keep both sides of the street clean at the same time.
At another meeting, regarding a traffic issue, several people blew their tops, I mean submitted their opinions. When the smoke cleared she simply said, “That corner needs a stop sign, to slow the traffic.”
Izeller had incredible knack for looking at buildings and seeing how to make them beautiful. When she discovered that building on Fair Oaks had gone through the review process and an important aesthetic design element was missing, she made sure that developer and designer were contacted helping to make a more beautiful building, street and neighborhood.
There was an added bonus, it was Izeller who invited me to join the W.D. Edson Neighborhood Association and their annual picnic---I was the first time this Northerner had ever tasted homemade peach cobbler, which is the best dessert I have tasted. . I am truly grateful for that experience.
After I retired from the PAC, Izeller attended my computer classes where I was teaching and we carpooled on Tuesdays. They were “Tuesdays with Morrie.” except replace the name with Izeller.
Her ability to assess a situation and say a few words about it that cut through to the truth, will always be with me. She was an excellent typist clocking in at 65-75 words a minute and enjoyed many aspects of wordprocessing and the Internet including maps. Now that I know that she was an assessor for the county it makes sense, she could read the map of the situation and find the best route for success.
She loved seeing the improvements in the neighborhood, she was excited for me when I finally got my house painted after 4 years. She always showed up when I needed her. I remember several wonderful conversations while she was watering her beloved roses in the front of her house. Another favorite phrase of hers when I was not getting what I wanted was, “It’s the squeaky wheel gets the oil.”
Well, things around me have been very well oiled…
I last spoke to Izeller on Memorial Day. She gave me some practical advice about how to deal with yet another house problem. Her very last words to me were, “You take care of yourself.”
When her daughter, Eileen called me and told me the news I was very upset, but also honored to share my love of Izeller’s wisdom.
Izeller loved the beauty in the area, and she referred to the night as she looked out on the top of Lake Avenue as diamonds on black velvet.
When I asked Eileen, “Isn’t going to look strange having a pale-face speak at your mother’s service.” She told me what Izeller always told me herself, “Mom viewed people only by what is radiated from their hearts.”
Yet another lesson, I learned from Izeller who was solid as a rock, kept her side of the street (and all our streets) clean, took time to stop and see the beauty all around her while reminding us to be sure to take care of ourselves.
Today, I would like to celebrate Izeller Snead’s contributions to our lives: beautiful buildings, clean streets, roses, calmed traffic, protected buildings, peace-making, community and wisdom. For she truly was someone who radiated only love from her heart, a diamond sparkling on a fine black velvet panorama of a great life.
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