Irene Brenneman

A memorial service for Irene M. Brenneman, 90, of Kalona will be held Saturday, July 9, 2016 at 11:00 am at the Kalona Mennonite Church in Kalona with Pastor Scott Swartzendruber and Assistant Chaplain Diane Brenneman officiating.  Visitation will be held from 9:30 am until the time of service at the church.  A memorial fund has been established for the Pleasantview Home in Kalona, where Irene was a resident at the time of her death, Tuesday, July 5, 2016.

Irene May Brenneman was born May 30, 1926 in Kalona, Iowa, the daughter of Henry B. and Minnie (Knepp) Brenneman.  She attended Center High School and Hesston College in Hesston, KS.  Irene worked as a nursing assistant at the Hospital School for Handicapped Children at the University of Iowa for 26 years.  She also worked as a library aide at the Kalona Public Library for two years.  Irene lived in Joetown until 1986 when she moved to Kalona.  She was a member of the Kalona Mennonite Church where she belonged to the WMSC.  Irene enjoyed reading, tatting, other handcrafts, keeping a diary, playing Scrabble and doing volunteer work.

Survivors include five siblings: Ada Fisher and Lois Gugel of Kalona, Virginia Ryan of Pinckney, MI, Wally (Millie) Brenneman of Kalona, Jim (Eunice) Brenneman of Denver, CO, and a number of nieces and nephews.

Preceding Irene in death were her parents, sisters Mabel and Blanche Brenneman, brothers David (Betty) and Daniel (Rose) Brenneman, brothers in law Owen Swartzendruber, Louis Gugel, Dick Ryan and sister in law Marlene Brenneman.