Ireta was named after her sister and grandmother. My earliest memories of my mother included cooking in the kitchen, planting a garden, canning fruits and vegetables, helping my father farm, teaching me to cook, clean, sew, be honest and work hard. My impression of what she looked like when I was young was a short, stocky, strong woman with short brown hair. She always wore glasses. Her hands were hard and rough. She was always barefoot in the summer which left her feet hard, rough and with deep cracks in the heels.

Her personality was strong-willed, honest, compassionate, loving, caring for the less fortunate, giving thanks, trusting and believing in God's blessings. She was special to me because of her strong values of love, joy, peace, compassion, giving. I had a strong sense of security and 'family ties' that I contribute to my mother.

Ireta had many talents but one that she was proud of was her pies. She told of how she perfected this talent and always won a blue ribbon at Corn School. She was a 4-H leader for Ontario and taught the members many valuable lessons for life. She was good at sewing and continued this until late in life..... sewing upholstery for motor homes. She learned to do many things by trial and error. She helped my father build their lake home. She was passionate about education. She only completed the 8th grade but encouraged and mandated higher education for her children. Her own mother, Cuba, instilled the privilege and responsibilty of woman voting. She recalled walking several miles just for this privilege of casting her vote. Her dream was to raise her family so they could take care of themselves and never be hungry (she was raised during the depression). So her biggest fear was being poor again.

Ireta's favorite color was green....she painted walls and even an apartment building this color. Her favorite book was the Bible. Her favorite scent was Evening in Paris. Her favorite seasons were summer and spring because she loved to plant and grow a garden. Her favorite music was country and Christian hymns. Her favorite flowers were lilacs and tulips. Her favorite person and writer was her husband, Bill, known as Pa. Her favorite poem was written by Bill. 'When we get married and live by the lake, We'll send Ma a piece of the wedding cake.'

Ireta's best story about growing up was her responsibility in raising the other children and helping her mother with household chores. Her father was a barber and died at an early age of a heart attack. Her mother, Cuba, raised the family alone. Her closest girlhood friends were Margery Pfenning, Evelyn Routsong, and Erma (her husband's sister). Her greatest victory was hard work and overcoming poverty. Her dreams for the future were to contribute to society in whatever she could and to love her family.

Women in Ireta's day dressed in knee length skirts and blouses made of cotton. She made some of her children's clothes from flour sacks. As a young lady she was expected to act properly, repecting her elders, no cursing, and address adults as Mr. or Mrs. The main form of entertainment in her day was the free shows. My parents loved to entertain their friends, especially at New Year's Eve and July 4th at the cottage they rented. One summer Ireta planned a children's fair. The stage, with live entertainment, was the hay wagon. We had a one-armed man, card tricks and singing. We set up games to play, free popcorn and had a great time. All the children from Ontario attended.

How My Parents Met.............Bill's family lived 1/2 mile from Ireta. Bill was friends with Ireta's brother, Pudge (Wayne). His sister, Erma, was her best friend. What attracted my mother to my father........nothing at first. What my mother told me about her wedding day was that they went in Bill's model A Ford to get the wedding license. Then they went to the preacher's house and was married. Ireta borrowed her mother's wedding ring. They were married on February 1, 1942. Her closest friends attending were the mother's of the bride and groom.

She recalled these memories. The most surprising thing she ever did was go to Hawaii with Bill in 1979. A day that she never forgot was the day her Dad died. Her favorite time together was when all of her children were living at home.

What I most want you to understand about my mother was that she was never too busy to get involved. She taught Sunday School and 4-H. She always went to my brothers basketball games, school plays, etc. Planned our yearly vacation at a lake side cottage. One thing I inherited from her was my sense of adventure. I love to see and do something new (like traveling and reading books) as well as my love of people and desire to help others.

My mother sent me a poem before she died. It was entitled, 'If Tomorrow Starts Without Me'. She didn't show her emotiions often. We weren't a family that hugged or cried together. But my mother reminded me of her heavenly destination with this poem. She used every opportunity presented to share the gospel of Christ. She ask friends and family on their dying bed if they knew Jesus Christ. Someday we will be reunited in our new heavenly home. What a glorious day that will be. Daughter Penny