Age 93 Died April 28, 2021. She was born in Duluth, Minnesota on June 29, 1927, the 1st baby and only daughter of Eleanore Westman and Henry Edward Jacobson. Irene attended and was homecoming queen of Duluth Condition Teacher’s University. On Oct 22, 1949, she married Herman Harrison Eelkema. The few lived in Minneapolis, Rochester and Fargo ahead of going forever to St. Paul in 1960. Irene’s adore of textbooks and reading through shaped her lifestyle. In her lifetime she owned, go through, remembered and shared hundreds of textbooks. Early American record and biographies of early People in america were her favored subjects. She also experienced a exclusive interest in kid’s literature, and loved sending children’s guides from her collection as offers to her terrific grandchildren. Though raising six children, Irene enrolled in the College of Minnesota, earning a BA in Humanities is 1978, and a MA in Library Science in 1982. She volunteered for and labored at the University of Minnesota’s Kerlan Selection of Children’s Publications. She handed alongside her like of looking through to all her children, grandchildren and terrific grandchildren. Irene admired and fostered creativeness. She was quite very pleased of her mother’s and grandmother’s capabilities as writers and artists, and also her family’s endeavors in painting, crafting, quilting, letter press, woodworking, and glass fusing. Irene could also draw and paint, and at periods enjoyed quilting, stain-glass panel producing, and furnishings refinishing. Her legitimate passion, even so, was genealogy. By substantial exploration she traced her mother’s household back to the Puritan poet Anne Dudley Bradstreet, and Anne’s father, one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. She traced her father’s family back again to the early 1700s in Norway. Irene was a incredibly intelligent, and light, but not meek female. She produced a exclusive bond with all those in her everyday living. She had a reward for providing and getting affection. She was under no circumstances way too hectic to chat on the mobile phone, or to say certainly to a person who wanted to stop by. Irene beloved to compose and mail notes and playing cards of greeting on birthdays and holiday seasons. She obtained hundreds of thank you letters, and cards, and saved them all in very paper bins. Irene experienced several joys in her everyday living, like a very near and loving relationship of 64 a long time, quite a few prolonged and enduring friendships, and looking at her 6 little ones increase to adulthood. She also skilled wonderful sorrows in the dying of her husband and her sons Harrison and Robert. She appreciated excellent overall health. Right until her last short hospitalization and hospice keep, she had by no means been hospitalized, besides for the births of her 6 small children. Irene and her partner were being committed Minnesota Viking followers, and ended up time ticket holders from the inaugural 1960 time till Herman’s dying in 2013. They hosted tailgate events for every single dwelling game at the outdated Metropolitan stadium—no subject how chilly or snowy the weather. In her afterwards decades Irene loved seeing football on Television with her sons. Irene was a terrific baker and cook. Immediately after her family was raised on a few warm and nutritious foods each individual day, Irene indulged herself in a chocolate based mostly, just about vegetable absolutely free diet program. Irene beloved her household, guides and publications, butter, chocolate, coffee, birds, art, sunny but great weather, and nearly anything coloured purple. She disliked conflict, dreary weather, housework, and becoming the shortest adult in any home. She was preceded in death by her mother and father, her partner, her sons Harrison and Robert, her brother James, and son-in-law Daniel Vorum. She is survived by sons William (Kathleen), James (Linda) and John, daughter Elizabeth, brothers-in-legislation Robert Eelkema and Ben Morgan, sister-in-law Ruth Jacobson, numerous grandchildren and wonderful grandchildren and amazing good friends Dodes, Anneliese and Stephen. Interment of Irene’s ashes at the Fort Snelling Veteran Cemetery and a memorial luncheon ended up personal. Any person wishing to honor Irene’s memory is requested to make a donation to their local community library.

Printed by Pioneer Press on Jun. 20, 2021.

By Harmony