Jaeger, Irene H.

Irene H. Jaeger, 82, of Dyersville, formerly of Worthington, died Monday, Feb. 4, 2013, at Mercy Medical Center in Dubuque after a brief illness. Friends may call from 2 to 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 14, at Kramer Funeral Home in Dyersville, where a parish vigil service will be held at 7 p.m. and an Altar and Rosary Society rosary will be recited at 4 p.m. Friends may continue to call from 9 to 10:30 a.m. Friday at the funeral home. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 15, at St. Paul Catholic Church in Worthington, with burial in the church cemetery. The Rev. Dennis Quint will officiate.

Irene was born Sept. 28, 1930, in Guttenberg, the daughter of Albert and Lottie (Spoden) Petsche at their home. She attended St. Mary's and the Rural School in Guttenberg until the death of her brother, Donald. She worked outside on the farm until she married Urban Jaeger on Aug. 23, 1947, at St. Mary's Church in Guttenberg. They moved to Dyersville, where Urban began his trucking business. They moved to Worthington in 1955. In 1973, Urban and Irene moved to a farm southwest of Dyersville. In 1965, she became president of the St. Paul Altar and Rosary Society. During this time, she and the late Leo Knepper started the tradition of deep frying chicken for the parish picnics.

She is survived by three children, Russell (Pat) and Sue (Jim) Guthrie, both of Hopkinton, and Eldon (Barb) of Worthington; six grandchildren, Angela Maddin, David Guthrie, Sharon Guthrie, J. Russel Guthrie, Rodney Jaeger and Kathy Massey; a grandson-in-law, Mike Heiderscheit; 10 great-grandchildren, Tyler and Austin Jaeger, Logan and Leah Massey, Bailey Rickels, Jacob Yearous, Ben, Betsy and Taylor Guthrie, and Alexandra Maddin; a stepgreat-grandchild, Luke Soppe; a sister, Bernice Blunk of Garnavillo; a brother, Lavern (Norma) Petsche of Dyersville; brothers- and-sisters-in-law, Joan Helle of Dubuque, Eileen Appel of Houston, Texas, William (Mary Ann) Jaeger of Manchester and John (Ruth) Jaeger of Manchester; four half siblings-in-law, Leo (Diane) Jaeger of Kenton, Ohio, Leroy Jaeger of Earlville, Loras (Mikki) Jaeger of Bettendorf and Marilyn (Pat) Werner of Dyersville.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband in 2010; three brothers, Theodore, Lawrence and Donald; a granddaughter, Brenda Heiderscheit in 2011; brothers- and-sisters-in-law, Verni Blunk, Della Rose Downey, George Helle, John Appel and Diane Jaeger; a nephew, Jerome Petsche; and a niece, Diane Petsche in infancy.

Information available and condolences accepted at www.kramerfuneral.com.

Published Feb. 11, 2013 in The Gazette