Her infectious smile and long Southern drawl will be hard to forget.
For those who were fortunate enough to know Isabella Renee Ford during her brief 17 years on earth, they all agree that she was a one-of-a-kind friend to all.
Ford, who just finished her junior year at Grenada High School, was laid to rest Monday afternoon in Magnolia Gardens Cemetery near Charleston after losing her life in an automobile accident last Thursday night on a Tallahatchie County back road on her way home from work.
Her absence has left a huge void in the hearts of her family and immeasurable circle of friends, many of whom admitted that they can still hear her call them “sugar” or “punkin.”
“She was definitely an angel on earth,” GHS secretary Sheila Ellis said Sunday afternoon following visitation at Newsom Funeral Home in Charleston. “If you met her, you would never forget her. She was one in a million.”
Ford, who served as a Diamond Girl, and Ellis, the group’s sponsor, grew close over the years, confiding in each other often.
“She loved hunting and fishing,” Ellis continued. “Her plans were to become a game warden. Her Christian faith shined through in everything that she did. She told everyone, ‘I love you.’ Her smile was infectious and that country voice — you couldn’t help but love it.”
Ellis continued by describing Ford — who had been chosen as Student of the Year in Culinary Arts and earned the highest average in Algebra II — as a hard worker.
“She was always willing to go above what any teacher or administrator asked of her,” she said. “I can’t imagine going in my office and not having her there. It will not be the same without her.”
The Spring Hill community teenager died after the 2006 Dodge Ram pickup truck that she was driving left Teasdale Road and struck a tree in a sharp curve north of Charleston. She was driving home from The Oaks at Sherin Farms restaurant, where she was employed. Tallahatchie County Coroner Anthony Hawkins pronounced Ford dead just after 10 p.m.
“I would like to send my sympathies to the family,” Tallahatchie County Sheriff Jimmy Fly said the next morning. “My thoughts and prayers are with them.”
Grenada School District released a statement Friday.
“The Grenada School District is heartbroken to share the loss of one of our beloved students,” an afternoon post on the district Facebook page read. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family, friends, classmates and teachers who are grieving during this incredibly difficult time.”
The quietness of the hallways Friday afternoon at GHS was deafening as the school prepares to close for the summer. Staff members and a handful of students were on hand as the district made counselors and other support staff available to them if they needed counseling.
“We encourage our community to lean on each other and hold close the memories that bring comfort and peace,” GSD’s post concluded. “May we find strength together and keep the family in our hearts.”
GHS social studies teacher Jennifer Rounsaville said that there will always be a place in her heart for Ford, someone she described as “an amazing young lady.”
“Bella was a beautiful girl with a heart of gold,” she said. “I was so fortunate to have the memories of her being in my class. I will never forget some of the off-the-wall questions that she would ask me that always made me laugh.”
Rounsaville then recalled a day when Ford asked her, “Do I have a country accent?”
“When I replied yes, she seemed genuinely shocked,” Rounsaville continued. “I have thought about that particular moment many times over the past few days and it still makes me smile. Bella will truly be missed in the halls of GHS by both the adults and student body. She was taken far too soon from those of us who love her.”
Grenada High ninth-grade administrative assistant Carol Booker-Pascul will also find it hard to return to school knowing Ford will not be in attendance.
“Lord knows I’m going to miss my baby Bella,” she said. “I wasn’t Ms. Pascul to her — I was her Tee Tee. Every day, she’d come into my office and give me the biggest hug, and tell me she loved me. If I had known last week was the last hug, I would’ve held her a little longer and tighter. I knew she loved me and she knew I loved her. My heart is broken and I’m lost in tears. She was more than a student; she was my baby and my niece.”
Ford’s close friends had the same fondness for the teen.
“Isabella was a reliable, trustworthy, supportive and loyal friend,” classmate Tyorayah “Ty” McClain said. “She was more than a friend, she was like a sister to me. Thank you for being my friend beautiful. I love you and I will miss you.”
Kendall Tyner, also an upcoming senior, recalled the first time she met Ford.
“Me and Isabella became the best of friends in the fourth grade,” she said. “She was the most outgoing, caring and loving person. She definitely pulled me out of my shell. She always made everyone laugh. She was always there for me and never judged anyone. She loved everyone and lit up every room she walked in. She will be deeply missed. I love you so much Bella.”
Underclassmen also witnessed Ford’s exceptional spirit.
“Isabella was the sweetest person to everyone she would meet and no one was a stranger to her — she welcomed everyone with open arms,” soon-to-be junior Lexi Mabry said. “She loved everyone she met and everyone loved her. I am so thankful that I was able to get so close with her the last two years, and I will forever cherish the memories we made together.”
Lexi’s twin sister, Lani, had the same strong feelings about Ford.
“Bella was one of a kind,” she concluded. “She was the best friend anyone could have asked for. She always made sure you were OK even when she wasn’t herself. She always let you know that she loved you. There were very few moments that she didn’t have a smile on her face. She was the sweetest, kindest and most loving person that I have ever met. I’m forever thankful for being in Culinary Arts with her the past two years and for all the memories we made there. She will truly be missed by all of us.”
Funeral services for Ford were held at 2 p.m. on Monday, May 19, at Newsom Funeral Home chapel.
She leaves behind her parents, Shayne and Holli Ford; a sister, Ava Claire Ford; and grandparents, Ruby Ford, Allen (Vickey) Meek and Sandra (Walter) Stiles.
