Irene Shafer, 83

Irene Shafer passed away peacefully Sunday, Aug. 2, 2009, at home surrounded by her family, after a short battle with cancer. She was born May 9, 1926, to Josephine (Trinko) Karnes and Carl Karnes in Hatchville, Wis., at home on the family farm. She attended schools in Elmwood, Wis., and Dunn County Ag School in Menomonie, Wis.

She met the love of her life, Vaughn Shafer, and they were married on Aug. 21, 1945, in Menomonie at the Peace Lutheran Church. They had five children and decided that they would rather raise them in Montana than in the city and moved to Montana in 1963. They loved Montana deeply and shared a love of hiking and picking huckleberries and showing their visiting friends all around their beautiful state.

Irene worked for the Postal Service for many years, first as an employee of the Hungry Horse Post Office, then as a post mistress. When the Hungry Horse office went private, she opted to work at the Columbia Falls Post Office where she made many friends with whom she remained close to this day.

In 1982, she and Vaughn purchased the Hungry Horse Corral Gift Shop, which Vaughn continues to own and operate.

She was many things to many people. She was a daughter, wife, mom, mother-in-law, sister, grandma, aunt, great-grandmother and friend.

She was a patron to many entities in the valley and statewide, but her favorites were the Canyon Elementary School and the Wildcat Athletic Endowment Association. She held many important positions in our small community and was well known for her fairness and her ability to think things through. She was also known for her strong business sense.

She will be very missed by the Hungry Horse Water board where she volunteered many years of service. You always knew where you stood with Irene. She did not hold back in life and we are sure "that she is finding her rightful place in Heaven as we speak."

She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Josephine Karnes; and her brother, Carl "Buddie" Karnes.

She is survived at the family home by her husband of 64 years, Vaughn Shafer; their oldest son, Terry Shafer, and his wife, Judy, of Hungry Horse; son, Ron Shafer, of Columbia Falls; son, Mark Shafer, and wife, Sharon, of Whitefish; daughter, Jan Sergeant, of Lakeside and San Diego; and youngest son, Craig Shafer, of Hungry Horse; her grandchildren, Todd Shafer of Kalispell, Toni (Shafer) Nanini and husband, James, of Kalispell, Siara (Shafer) Jay and husband, Chuck, of Bonney Lake, Wash., Ben Shafer and wife, Amanda, of Hungry Horse, Kyla Shafer of La Verne, Calif., Cydney Sergeant of San Diego, and Jeff Shafer of Brooklyn, N.Y. She has one great-grandchild who was the light of her life, Aspen Grace Shafer, daughter of Ben and Amanda Shafer.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, please make donations to the Canyon Elementary School or the Wildcat Athletic Endowment Association.

The service will be held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 8, at the Canyon Elementary School gym. There will be a potluck memorial celebration in honor of Irene's life immediately following the service at Canyon Elementary School.

This paid obituary is being run again at the request of the family.