Irene Catherine Winkels was born in 1916, to Joseph and Christina Winkels.
The German army was marching into France, WWI was in progress. She was the second child of six German American children. She spoke only German upon entering first grade. After her first day at school, she reportedly announced, "from now on, I am speaking nothing but English"!
She was raised on a farm in Northern Iowa, near Mclntire, where she was born. Life was hard and simple. They were devoted Catholics, there was Church and work. She drove herself and siblings to a one room school close by by horse and buggy summer and winter, sunshine or rain. She met our father, Edward Thies, while working for the Rath Packing Plant family in Waterloo, Iowa. Soon they were married; Gary their first child, was born in 1941, the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor. Her husband Ed was raised on a farm also, so farming was in their blood. Soon, they moved to Southern Minnesota, near LeRoy, where they began farming once again. In 1949, their daughter Tacquelyn, was born. Irene became involved in the LeRoy 4-H club where she taught sewing classes, she also served on the LeRoy school board. They were successful farmers, and in 1961, sold their farm. They left Minnesota and the cold weather, moved to Goleta, California. Irene worked for Raytheon as an assembly lead where they assembled electronics for guided missiles. Her husband Ed, worked for New Horizons.
Her husband Edward, died in 1986. Shortly thereafter, Irene moved to Santa Maria for a few years, then to Arroyo Grande. She belonged to the Santa Maria Organ club, where she displayed her talents as a musician. She eventually moved to an assisted living facility at Wyndham Residence because of macular degeneration, and mobility difficulties. After a fall in 2012, she compressed three vertebrae, her health then declined rapidly. She was moved to the Arroyo Grande Care Center where she died on December 3, 2013 at the age of 96. Irene left two children; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She is remembered for her good humor, and "frank" remarks at times
The German army was marching into France, WWI was in progress. She was the second child of six German American children. She spoke only German upon entering first grade. After her first day at school, she reportedly announced, "from now on, I am speaking nothing but English"!
She was raised on a farm in Northern Iowa, near Mclntire, where she was born. Life was hard and simple. They were devoted Catholics, there was Church and work. She drove herself and siblings to a one room school close by by horse and buggy summer and winter, sunshine or rain. She met our father, Edward Thies, while working for the Rath Packing Plant family in Waterloo, Iowa. Soon they were married; Gary their first child, was born in 1941, the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor. Her husband Ed was raised on a farm also, so farming was in their blood. Soon, they moved to Southern Minnesota, near LeRoy, where they began farming once again. In 1949, their daughter Tacquelyn, was born. Irene became involved in the LeRoy 4-H club where she taught sewing classes, she also served on the LeRoy school board. They were successful farmers, and in 1961, sold their farm. They left Minnesota and the cold weather, moved to Goleta, California. Irene worked for Raytheon as an assembly lead where they assembled electronics for guided missiles. Her husband Ed, worked for New Horizons.
Her husband Edward, died in 1986. Shortly thereafter, Irene moved to Santa Maria for a few years, then to Arroyo Grande. She belonged to the Santa Maria Organ club, where she displayed her talents as a musician. She eventually moved to an assisted living facility at Wyndham Residence because of macular degeneration, and mobility difficulties. After a fall in 2012, she compressed three vertebrae, her health then declined rapidly. She was moved to the Arroyo Grande Care Center where she died on December 3, 2013 at the age of 96. Irene left two children; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She is remembered for her good humor, and "frank" remarks at times
Irene Catherine Winkels was born in 1916, to Joseph and Christina Winkels.
The German army was marching into France, WWI was in progress. She was the second child of six German American children. She spoke only German upon entering first grade. After her first day at school, she reportedly announced, "from now on, I am speaking nothing but English"!
She was raised on a farm in Northern Iowa, near Mclntire, where she was born. Life was hard and simple. They were devoted Catholics, there was Church and work. She drove herself and siblings to a one room school close by by horse and buggy summer and winter, sunshine or rain. She met our father, Edward Thies, while working for the Rath Packing Plant family in Waterloo, Iowa. Soon they were married; Gary their first child, was born in 1941, the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor. Her husband Ed was raised on a farm also, so farming was in their blood. Soon, they moved to Southern Minnesota, near LeRoy, where they began farming once again. In 1949, their daughter Tacquelyn, was born. Irene became involved in the LeRoy 4-H club where she taught sewing classes, she also served on the LeRoy school board. They were successful farmers, and in 1961, sold their farm. They left Minnesota and the cold weather, moved to Goleta, California. Irene worked for Raytheon as an assembly lead where they assembled electronics for guided missiles. Her husband Ed, worked for New Horizons.
Her husband Edward, died in 1986. Shortly thereafter, Irene moved to Santa Maria for a few years, then to Arroyo Grande. She belonged to the Santa Maria Organ club, where she displayed her talents as a musician. She eventually moved to an assisted living facility at Wyndham Residence because of macular degeneration, and mobility difficulties. After a fall in 2012, she compressed three vertebrae, her health then declined rapidly. She was moved to the Arroyo Grande Care Center where she died on December 3, 2013 at the age of 96. Irene left two children; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She is remembered for her good humor, and "frank" remarks at times
The German army was marching into France, WWI was in progress. She was the second child of six German American children. She spoke only German upon entering first grade. After her first day at school, she reportedly announced, "from now on, I am speaking nothing but English"!
She was raised on a farm in Northern Iowa, near Mclntire, where she was born. Life was hard and simple. They were devoted Catholics, there was Church and work. She drove herself and siblings to a one room school close by by horse and buggy summer and winter, sunshine or rain. She met our father, Edward Thies, while working for the Rath Packing Plant family in Waterloo, Iowa. Soon they were married; Gary their first child, was born in 1941, the Japanese were about to attack Pearl Harbor. Her husband Ed was raised on a farm also, so farming was in their blood. Soon, they moved to Southern Minnesota, near LeRoy, where they began farming once again. In 1949, their daughter Tacquelyn, was born. Irene became involved in the LeRoy 4-H club where she taught sewing classes, she also served on the LeRoy school board. They were successful farmers, and in 1961, sold their farm. They left Minnesota and the cold weather, moved to Goleta, California. Irene worked for Raytheon as an assembly lead where they assembled electronics for guided missiles. Her husband Ed, worked for New Horizons.
Her husband Edward, died in 1986. Shortly thereafter, Irene moved to Santa Maria for a few years, then to Arroyo Grande. She belonged to the Santa Maria Organ club, where she displayed her talents as a musician. She eventually moved to an assisted living facility at Wyndham Residence because of macular degeneration, and mobility difficulties. After a fall in 2012, she compressed three vertebrae, her health then declined rapidly. She was moved to the Arroyo Grande Care Center where she died on December 3, 2013 at the age of 96. Irene left two children; three grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. She is remembered for her good humor, and "frank" remarks at times
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