Irene Westgaard, of Dawson, died Friday, December 23, 2011, at the Johnson Memorial Care Center in Dawson, at the age of 97.
Funeral service will be held Tuesday, Dec 27, at 1:30 PM at Grace Lutheran Church with Pastors Kendall Stelter and John Biggs officiating. Scott Schacherer read John 14:1-7; Chris Lehne accompanies Jacob Wager singing "Angels Among Us" and "The Lord's Prayer" and hymns "What A Friend", "How Great Thou Art" and "Amazing Grace." Desrae, Bobbi Jo, Alyssa, Brock, Sadie and Holland were honorary casketbearers and Dale Kemen, Robert & Paul Johnson, Rick Pitt, Dale, Kurt and Ronald Ronning and Scott Schacherer were the active. Interment was in Lac Qui Parle Lutheran Cemetery.
Visitation was Monday from 5:00-6:30 PM, with a prayer service at 6:30 at the Hanson & Dahl Funeral Home in Dawson.
Irene Alberta Westgaard was born on June 20, 1914, in Yellow Medicine County, to Herman and Hannah (Swenson) Ronning. She was baptized and confirmed in the Lutheran faith. She graduated from Dawson High School, where she was active in the Glee Club. Irene and Harold Westgaard were united in marriage on November 4, 1936, in Dawson. To this union, 3 children were born: Paul, Ann Marie and Dennis. They lived in rural Dawson until 1952, when they moved to Correll, where she was a cook at the school. After Harold's sudden death on December 3, 1983, she moved to Dawson to be closer to her family. She lived in Park View Apartments before moving into the Johnson Memorial Care Center on April 4, 2005. She passed away there on Friday morning, December 23, 2011, at the at of 97.
She enjoyed baking, gardening and listening to gospel and country music. She also enjoyed to crochet and created many doilies, Christmas ornaments, and a baptismal gown for her great-granddaughters.
She is survived by her son, Dennis (Ardith) Westgaard of Dawson; two granddaughters: Desrae (Dale) Kemen and Bobbi Jo (Scott) Schacherer of Dawson; 4 great-grandchildren: Alyssa, Brock and Sadie Kemen and Holland Schacherer; sisters and brother-in-law: Heloise Ronning of Farmington, Eloise Ronning of Dawson and Harold "Fritz" Johnson of Alexandria; other family and friends.
Preceding her in death were her parents; children, Paul and Ann Marie in infancy; husband, Harold; brothers: Glen, Kenneth and Harris Ronning; sisters: Deloris Pitt and Opal Johnson; and brother-in-law, Harold Pitt and sister-in-law, Verna Ronning.