Irene Beatrice Jenicke 95th

JENICKE 95th

Irene Beatrice Schmechel Jenicke had a 95th birthday on Sept. 22, 2016. She was born in Granite Falls, N.D., the third of five children born to Martha and Arthur Schmechel. When Irene was 5, the family moved to Twin Falls, Idaho, and there Irene began her elementary education.

When she was in fourth grade, a beau named Bobby brought her a gift of marbles and laid them on the pencil track of her desk. At age 16, she went away to Lodi Academy in California with a friend, El Marie, and there she met Eldon Jenicke. She married him a year and a half later. From that marriage came two daughters, Barbara and Sandra, and a son, Donald Eldon.

Married life began in California for about four years, then they moved north to Washington, where they spent many years, mostly in Spokane. Irene worked hard as a domestic engineer to help supplement the education of her children.

Retirement ended the hard work, and she and Eldon enjoyed being snowbirds and enjoying winter in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., and summers in College Place, Wash.

They moved to Sun City, Ariz., in 2005 with their daughter and son-in-law, Barbara and Jim Morphis. Irene lost her husband Eldon in 2008 after 68 years of marriage and now awaits the Second Coming to see him again.

Irene has two grandsons, a granddaughter, 5 great-grandsons and a great-granddaughter.