ISABEL Florence 'Monie' Holt's life was celebrated this month after her passing at the Laura Johnson Home on Tuesday, May 7.
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Anecdotes were shared by all about the proud Kalkadoon elder who was many things to many people in the community.
Ms Holt's nieces Gail Marshall and Rosemary Lemson paid their respects to their beloved aunty who always made them smile.
"Auntie Monie was a beautiful woman who had the ability to make everybody laugh, and laugh so hard and joyfully," Mrs Marshall said.
"She was a beautiful old lady and was very family oriented. She never forgot the kids for their birthdays or Christmases and always shared her love with them," Mrs Lemson added.
Ms Holt was born in Mount Isa in 1934 as the 12th child in a family of 14 to Nina Margaret Taylor and Darcy Alexander Prosser.
Growing up she worked in Mount Isa at the Isa Hotel, Townview School, Mount Isa High School, Camooweal Hospital and Freckleton's Store and Cafe living between the two towns.
Her family said her work in Camooweal led her to meet her beloved husband Ronald Holt.
Their courtship was long and sweet and they finally married at St George's Church in Cammooweal in 1956 when he was 21 and she had just turned 22.
Ms Holt's niece Rhonda Rankine said Ronald, whose life was taken in an accident just over a year after their marriage, must have been a marvellous man because her Auntie never stopped loving him.
"It amazes me that someone can have a love for someone else for over 56 years after their parting let alone the love for the years prior to his death," she said.
"She was never blessed with children so we (Rhonda and her brother Georgie) were always her babies from day one."
Molly Alexander and Thelma Ah Wing said although their brother Ronald was only married to Isabel for such a short time, she never broke the connection with her new sisters.
"We all loved her, she was a lovely person and he was our only brother so we treated her like a sister," Mrs Alexander said.
"We were always together and we loved her dearly."
Mrs Ah Wing's daughter Desley said Ms Holt was like a blood Aunty to her and was one of the most positive role models in the community.
"She was very proud of her culture and being an elder of the Kalkadoon people and she was very, very proud to always be asked to do the welcome to country... she would go out of her way to make herself available," she said.
Former Mount Isa mayor Ron McCullough said the welcome to country was always beautifully done by Ms Holt, who he described as the definition of gracious and the perfect lady.
"She had a bit of an aura about her of goodwill and happiness," he said.
"We had a request by some of the groups to name creeks and rivers after indigenous elders and we felt it was time to recognise Aunty Monie and went ahead and organised it.
"We approached her and told her we wanted her to be down at the 23rd Avenue river crossing for a special day, she thought she was going down for an opening so it meant a lot to her and her family to be recognised."
Current mayor Tony McGrady and Young People Ahead manager Alvin Hava were also impacted by her work in the community.
"Isabel Holt was, to me, a great example of what Aboriginal women are about and will be very sadly missed," Cr McGrady said.
"I've been quite blessed to have worked with Aunty Monie, she's definitely been a strong mentor of mine in terms of what social justice is all about and how to treat people with humility and kindness. She has been and will continue to be a great influence in my life," Mr Hava said.
In 2008, Ms Holt moved into the Laura Johnson home after she was diagnosed with Alzheimers.
At the home she made lots of new friends and continued to share her personal story with others from the Kalkadoon community.
Mrs Rankine said she was forever in debt to the staff at the home for taking good care of her Aunt prior to and during her passing.
"You all treated my darling old Aunty with respect and dignity she deserved and I am forever grateful," she said.