Rose Irene Tucker, 96

Rose Irene Tucker, 96, 'has gone home to be with her departed husband, Eugene C. Tucker and her Lord and Savior.' Irene was a recent resident of the Immanuel Lutheran Home in Kalispell, where she died in her sleep on July 16, 2007.

Irene was born April 8, 1911, on the Taylor Ranch in western Kansas. She was the daughter of H.G. and Daisy Corbet, the second sister of four sisters and she had three brothers, all growing up on a farm outside Haviland, Kan.

Irene is survived by her daughters and son-in-law, Norma J. and Charles McClure, and Lynn R. Stegherr. She has also left behind her grandchildren, Stephen McClure, Greg and Theresa McClure, Susie and Tom Klemann, Ian and Ashley Stegherr and Elsie Stegherr. Irene's great-grandchildren include Katey and Pat Phelan, Jacob McClure, Marianna McClure, Neal McClure, Michael and Natasha McClure, Christie McCulley with her daughter Sayla, and Cameron Klemann.

Irene married her high school sweetheart, Eugene 'Gene' Clarkson Tucker at the Quaker Ministers parsonage on March 20, 1931. Gene barbered and worked on farms during the Great Depression. While the couple lived in Pratt, Kan., they had a daughter, Norma Jeanne. After World War II, the couple lived in Wichita, Kan., and their second daughter was born, Lynn Rogene.

Irene always enjoyed gardening, planting flowers wherever she lived. She also worked in department stores as a seamstress doing alterations while they lived in Wichita.

After she retired to Columbia Falls, she and Gene helped run a mini-storage. Later they built their own log home in West Glacier.

Irene started the hobby of landscape painting and bird watching after she retired. The family owns many of the beautiful paintings she completed.

Shortly after celebrating their 72nd wedding anniversary, Gene fell ill and was placed in a nursing home and Irene joined him at that time. The most important feature of Irene's life was her love of her Savior and Lord. Irene and Gene regularly attended the Whitefish Nazarene Church. The Tuckers were life long Quakers and then Nazarenes.

Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. today, July 19, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, July 20, at the Columbia Mortuary in Columbia Falls. Rev. Peter Bergen will officiate.

The family has suggested that memorials be made to the Columbia Falls Food Bank.