Nina Isom Kirkland

Nina Isom Kirkland, our beloved mother, wife, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend passed away peacefully in her home surrounded by her loved ones on October 5th, 2025. Nina was born on August 2nd, 1945 to Herbert Isom and Marie Rigtrup Isom in Hurricane, UT in the Bradshaw Nursing Home just across the street from her family home. When she was 2.5 years old, Nina contracted Polio along with two of her brothers, Garth and Larry. Nina was the poster child for the March of Dimes program in 1948. While most polio victims suffered from effects in their legs, Nina suffered in her arms, mainly her left arm. She struggled with the effects of Polio her entire life, but through it she survived.

Nina went to Hurricane Elementary at the age of 5 and graduated from Hurricane High School at the age of 17. She was a member of the Hurricane Drill Team, the Tigerettes, and she really enjoyed and loved dancing. She could be caught shaking her hips to any of her favorite tunes her entire life; she just didn't want you to know it. She loved music. She was a big fan of Elvis and just about any of the "Oldies". Nina attended one year at Dixie College. She didn't enjoy it, but she was thankful that it was at school where she met the love of her life, Hylan Franklin Kirkland. After dating nearly 3 years, they were married on March 11, 1967. They made their home in St. George, UT.

Nina worked at Hawthorne, in St. George, sewing for about three years until their family continued to grow. They had 4 girls and 2 boys. In 1980, Nina then got a job as a school bus driver for the Special Education Children in Washington County, and she thoroughly loved that job for 10 years. Nina held many jobs in her life, including babysitting, picking cherries, housekeeping in St. George and Zion National Park, and ended her job career with working at the Credit Bureau.

Nina was a proud member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She was endowed in 1997, and she held many callings, which she loved. They include Pre-Primary (entertaining the children until Primary started on weekdays), Stake Librarian for 14 years, Young Women's Secretary, Primary 2nd Counselor, Relief Society Secretary, taught the Primary 4 year olds, Ward Mission Leader, and was always a Visiting Teacher/Ministering Sister. For the last five years, Nina made sure to visit various temples once a month.

Nina's husband, Hylan, passed away in December of 2020, and Nina sold her family home soon after and moved in with her daughter, Lonnie, in Mapleton, UT. Nina was incredibly talented. She loved to sew, quilt, and crochet. If she wasn't already busy with her family, church, work, or family history, she had fabric or yarn in her hands and was making something. She made sure that each of her grandchildren had homemade crochet blankets and quilts and loved to sew them outfits and blessings gowns. She even made several items to give away to friends and strangers alike. She also loved her friends. She made friends everywhere she went, both in St. George and Mapleton. She really enjoyed her walks with her friends, especially in her later years, and the Golden Sisters in her ward in Mapleton. Her Ward Families were her second family, and she truly cherished them. She also really enjoyed secretly donating to those in need as well as neighbor children. She was constantly giving anonymously and being secretive.

Nina had many struggles in her life. First and foremost was her Polio. She struggled with her strength, and even broke her back twice. Through a long list of ailments, she persevered. She shone. And she made the best of it. She absolutely LOVED her family, and they were her everything. She made the best effort to support everyone. She never failed a birthday card, and sometimes even mailed multiple! She truly cared. She was so excited to celebrate monumental anniversaries with her husband with a trip to Alaska for their 40th and a big party for their 50th. One of her greatest wishes was to be sealed in the Temple for eternity to her husband and children, and her wish came true on September 16th and 17th 2022. Hylan and Nina were sealed in the Payson, UT Temple along with their children.

Words cannot express our profound excitement that our mother is with our father again! We know he was waiting for her on the other side and that their reunion has been monumental. She could not wait to be with him again. Her pains and struggles are over, and she has endured to the end. She will be greatly missed here on this earth by us all. Nina is preceded in death by her loving husband, Hylan Franklin Kirkland, their son, Dirk Herbert Kirkland, her parents, her two brothers and several half-siblings, and several nieces and nephews. She is survived by her children Neidra Merrill, Lonnie (Mark) Braby, Hylan (Elizabeth) Kirkland, Amanda (Anthony) Young, and Kassie (Bryan) Pitts; as well as15 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren; her sister, Jane, her brothers, Larry and Dale, and many nieces and nephews.

Graveside services will be Thursday, October 9th, 2025 at 11am at the Hurricane Cemetery.

Arrangements are made under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 South Bluff Street, St. George, Utah. 435-673-2454.

In lieu of flowers, donations are requested to be made to the March of Dimes (marchofdimes.org) or to your favorite charity in honor of Nina Isom Kirkland.

The family wishes to express their heartfelt thanks to Dr. John Taylor and the Hospice Care Team Nurses for their special care and helpful assistance in accommodating Nina's wishes.

Friends and family are invited to sign Nina's online guestbook at www.SpilsburyMortuary.com