Irene Sieve, 86

Loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Irene Genevieve (Slater) Sieve of Northfield, formerly of Alexandria and Wilmont, departed from us in her sleep in a manner befitting her name on September 28, 2012.

“Sis” was born on August 28, 1926, to Hub and Laura (Vaske) Slater in Wilmont. Irene graduated from Our Lady of Good Counsel High School in Wilmont in 1944. During summers she was employed as home helper on the Hartman farm.

Irene attended the College of St. Catherine from 1944 to 1947 in an accelerated program for the war effort. She was a registered nurse at Worthington hospital. On June 30, 1949 she married Carl Sieve in Our Lady of Good Counsel Catholic Church in a ceremony presided over by Father Urban Buchheit.

Carl and Irene were married for 63 years and were blessed with five children. In the manner of that time, Irene was a homemaker and mother, but she was also a full partner with Carl in the Wilmont Body Shop. Irene was a census worker in the 1960 census. She was secretary for Nobles County DFL and was instrumental in bringing such political luminaries as Hubert Humphrey, Robert Kennedy and Eugene McCarthy to Nobles County.

Irene had an eye for design and a knack for drawing and could have been an artist. As a busy housewife and mother, crafts and interior decorating became an outlet. She encouraged and developed artistic talent in her children.

Irene had a life-long love for young people. She had an inquisitive mind and was an avid reader. She enjoyed travel. She was devoted to her church.

Following Carl’s retirement, they moved to their Lake Latoka home at Alexandria. She loved and thoroughly enjoyed their community of friends and carefree lifestyle.

She is survived by her husband, Carl; sons, Jeffrey (Susie), New Ulm and Michael (Juli), Houston, Minnesota; daughters, Laurie Sieve and Amy Sieve (Jerry Johnson), Northfield; 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild; brother, Robert; sisters, Rita Wagner, Sr. Seton and Carol Slater; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Hub and Laura; son, Timothy; and brothers, Art and Vince.

Following her wishes, her body is loaned to Mayo Clinic for research and study.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Our Lady of Good Counsel Church in Wilmont on Saturday, October 13 at 1 p.m., followed by internment at Fort Snelling at a later date.

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