Irene Ann (Grandgenett) WIDEN

WIDEN, GRANDGENETT, RIESENBERG, BURKART, BURKART-CHRISTIAN, CHRISTIAN, WATSON, WEINER, HENDERSON, ARNDORFER, STOFFEL

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 9/13/2008 at 11:16:24

April 20, 2008
Fort Dodge Messenger, Iowa

CORWITH — Irene Ann Widen was born August 13, 1921, at St. Benedict, Iowa, to John and Caroline (Riesenberg) Grandgenett. She attended school in St. Benedict and married Dale Widen on January 28, 1941, at St. Benedict. Irene was an active farmer’s wife, helping her husband Dale on the farm for many years. The couple moved into Corwith in 1978, and Dale died in 1979. Irene enjoyed coffeeing with her neighbors, gardening, and bird watching of her many bird feeders. She became a resident of the Kanawha Community Home in July, 1996, and died there on Thursday afternoon, April 17, 2008, at the age of 86, with Tom at her bedside. While at the Care Center, Irene enjoyed spending her time with the other residents and staff.

Survivors include her son Tom Widen and fiancee Tammy of Ft. Dodge, Iowa; son-in-law, Tom Burkart of Riverside, California; six grandchildren, Jon Widen, Tiffany Widen, Tim Burkart and wife Lisa, Barbara Jean Burkart-Christian and husband Lt. Colonel Patrick Christian, Christine Ann Burkart Watson and husband Derek Watson and David Burkart as well as six great-grandchildren. Irene was preceded in death by her parents, husband Dale, daughter Jan Burkart, grandson Geoffrey Widen, brothers, Tony, Joe, Henry, John Jr., Albert and Edward and sisters, Kathryn Weiner, Marie Arndorfer, Alma Stoffel, Mildred Henderson and Florence Grandgenett.

Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at Garry-Roberts-Murphy-Schaaf Funeral Home in Corwith with a Parish Prayer Service at 6:30 p.m. Mass will be 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at St. Benedict Catholic Church in St. Benedict. Interment will be in St. Mary’s Catholic Cemetery, Corwith.