Irene Enger, 84

Irene Enger “broke the bonds of this world to be with her Lord and Savior” at the age of 84, on April 13, 2011. 

Irene was born Nov. 17, 1926, in Portland, to Rudolph and Gudrun Rice. As an infant, her family moved to the White Earth, N.D., area, where their family had originally homesteaded. She grew up as the eldest daughter of a large and loving family of 10, so she had younger siblings to help care for. Work was hard on the farm, and Irene grew up with a strong work ethic, which she carried throughout her life. After graduating from White Earth High School, she attended college in Minot, after which she taught at a local country school for a time.

Irene married Walter Adolph Enger on Nov. 23, 1946, in Tioga, N.D. They farmed in the White Earth area for a number of years. During this time their four sons, Bruce, Glenn, Paul and Randy, were born. They later moved to Tioga, where Irene worked at the Tioga Clinic, and in 1973 they relocated to Kalispell.

Irene was employed by Kalispell Regional Medical Center until her retirement. During her employment at the hospital, she was the recipient of the coveted Brassett Award, given each year to an outstanding employee.

She was an active member of Faith Free Lutheran Church. Her Christian values were always very important to her, and she passed these on to her family. Irene will be remembered for her loving nature, positive and sunny outlook, and her depth of caring for friends and family. She loved interacting with people, welcoming friends and family into her home, where she always had coffee and cookies readily available. We will fondly remember her giving lessons in her home on the fine art of lefse making to family members spanning three generations, thereby carrying on this Scandinavian tradition.

Irene spent the last two and a half years at Renaissance Assisted Living, where she received lots of care from the staff members there.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Rudolph (Reuben) Rice and Gudrun Rice of rural Kalispell; husband, Walt; son, Bruce; granddaughters, Sybil and Stephanie of Juneau, Alaska, and Amy Lalum of Tioga; and sisters, Audrey Elsbernd of Ray, N.D., Lorraine Lidstrom of Kalispell, and Helen Miscampbell of Whitefish.

Irene is survived by her sons, Glenn Enger and wife, Joann, of Tioga, and their children, Dallas and Shana, Paul Enger and wife, Sherrie, of Olympia, Wash., and their children, Lisa, Jessie, Kyle and Megan, Randy Enger and wife, Karen, of Kalispell, and their children, Mark and Jared; daughter-in-law, Vickie Enger, of Bozeman; 11 great-grandchildren; and many loving nieces and nephews.

Visitation for Irene will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. Sunday, April 17, at Buffalo Hill Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Monday, April 18, at the Faith Free Lutheran Church, with burial following at Glacier Memorial Gardens.

Friends are encouraged to visit www.buffalohillfh.com to leave notes of condolence for the family.