The family invites you to watch the Celebration of Irene's Life. Please click here



Irene was born on January 23, 1948, in Carmen, MB, to Peter and Clara Epp. She was the third of six children raised on the family farm in Homewood, MB. Family bonds were strong among the siblings and with the extended family. Home life grounded her strong Christian faith in the Mennonite tradition, with values of service to community and neighbour, along with a sense of hospitality that she displayed even in her final hours of life.

As a preschooler Irene liked to go out to the barn with her dad when he was doing chores. The barn in those days housed all the animals in winter: cows, hens, pony, cats and hogs. Her dad would lift her into a small part of the pen with the piglets. Irene was safe and well entertained. She would straighten the tails of each piglet, only to have to start over because they always curled again.

When Irene was in grade 4, she started piano lessons and continued for most of her school years. Eventually she played in the little country church. Throughout her childhood and youth she played piano a lot - it seemed to be relaxing and therapeutic.

During her high school years, Irene lived at the Mennonite Collegiate Institute boarding school in Gretna, MB. This included a formative year when she and her sister Eva were roommates. On weekend visits home to the farm, she often brought friends to join the Epps for a few days. Sometimes these visits included bonus driving lessons on back country roads.

In her Grade 12 yearbook, we found this quote. "Irene is always ready to brighten the classroom atmosphere with a pleasant word or to lend a helping hand or to offer a word of advice to her less experienced sisters!" That reflects the gentle, kind, caring spirit, which she was all her life.

After graduation, Irene worked as a telephone operator in Carman. Her dad was always thrilled when Irene was the operator connecting his call.

Eventually she moved to Winnipeg for work and study. She attended University of Winnipeg for a year and took some classes at U of M the year after. As a student she worked part time as office help in the Engineering department. She also completed a secretarial course at Robertson College. She worked in a medical office near the Health Sciences Centre.

During these years, Irene was usually living with her sisters and for a time with her friend Ellie Plett, now Epp. Ellie was also a cousin of Frank's who happened to be dating a cousin of Irene's. Ellie introduced Irene and Frank. They hit it off, always enjoying each other's company and values. They were married on August 12, 1972, settling into married life on the campus of Steinbach Bible Institute.

In 1974, Frank and Irene were ordained as a ministerial couple in the Prairie Rose Church. By spring 1975, their studies were complete, and they left Steinbach with a new baby in tow. The move landed them in Virden, where Frank served as pastor at the Virden Baptist Church. In 1977, a second daughter, Karen, joined Melaney in the family. Pastoring in a small church often meant the pastor would take a second job and the pastor's wife served as a volunteer support in the church. Frank and Irene's situation was no different. As Frank spread his time between church, construction work and family life, Irene focused her time on parenting, homemaking and participating in church ministries like Pioneer Girls, Cradle Roll and playing piano for worship services. The couple made strong connections with other church families and Irene initiated creative activities for her children, often together with other moms.

In 1979, the family moved to Treesbank, MB, to a similar pastoral role. Jonathan arrived the following year. Irene continued to devote her energy to raising three young children, gardening, and hosting family and neighbours. During these years, she also enjoyed sewing clothing for her children and tackling home decorating projects. As the extended family grew, summer family gatherings became the norm, with campers and tents filling the backyard at one house or another.

In 1983, the family returned to the Virden/Kola area to continue in associate ministry in the Kola Church, along with work in residential construction. Irene enjoyed country living, with outdoor space for flowers and a large, productive garden that provided plenty of produce to share. As the children grew older, she and Frank owned and operated Four Seasons Construction, building homes throughout western Manitoba and eastern Saskatchewan. For 25 years, Frank took care of sales and service, and Irene took care of the front desk and the business books.

Together they enjoyed socializing with other families in the church. Their commitment to Christian service was regularly evident as they cared for those around them. During these years, Irene volunteered at Kenosee Lake Bible Camp, served as a leader with the church youth group, assisted with Vacation Bible School, brought worship services to senior citizen homes and participated in other ministries of the church.

Throughout the years, Irene would plan and host creative birthday parties – always with a craft activity – inviting the children's friends over for chocolate making, candle making and other crafts. She spent countless hours supervising piano practice sessions, driving children to music lessons and sports events, and coordinating 4-H home economics projects. She could often be heard singing or humming special hymns or other church music as she went about her day. The children regularly had fresh cookies or other baked goods in their lunches – one of the ways she showed her love and care.

Irene was always happy to have the children's teenage friends visit for hours or days. She was welcoming and hospitable, taking genuine interest in each person she met. Those relationships continued through the decades, and Irene valued those connections. The basement was open for youth group events, spontaneous ping pong evenings, table games and especially the annual Grey Cup party with several Kola families, a tradition that continued for over 30 years.

Throughout these years, time with extended family held high priority. Weekend visits to see Frank and Irene's parents, siblings, cousins and other extended family were frequent and a highlight. Maintaining close relationships and spending time with family was important to Irene.

As a mother-in-law, Irene welcomed her children's spouses and their families with an open heart, looking forward to getting to know them. When grandchildren joined the family, she took interest in each one and found ways to engage them. Cookie decorating with her grandchildren was a regular activity, and always involved bountiful icing and sprinkles. She also enjoyed baking with the grandchildren, sharing her techniques for buns, butter horn rolls and cookies.

After retirement, Irene and Frank moved to Brandon. They settled into McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church, getting involved with weekly Bible Study and forming new friendships. Irene valued her time with Comfort Quilters and was touched to receive a quilt from them during her recent hospital stay.

In the winter, Frank and Irene enjoyed RV adventures down south. Some of those years were spent volunteering with Mennonite Disaster Service RV program, while others were spent in Palm Desert, Arizona, enjoying the warm temperatures and a change of scenery. Irene usually had a crochet blanket project on the go, good books to read and friends to play Scrabble with.

Irene kept active by caring for the flowers in the backyard of their Brandon home. She enjoyed enlisting the grandkids' help in watering the blooms whenever they were around. Irene was able to spend quality time with her grandsons in Brandon, getting to know them quite well. When Frank encountered health challenges during retirement, Irene was always a loving support.

Most recently, after moving to a condo in Village Green, they got involved with activities in the complex. Wherever it was possible to connect with other people, the couple made the effort and enjoyed the new friendships that developed. A highlight of the last year was a three-week trip to Hawaii with Frank's sister and brother-in-law.

In late April of this year, Irene was hospitalized with osteo-arthritis fractures in her vertebrae. She was discharged for a few weeks in May before returning to hospital with more bone deterioration not typical for osteo-arthritis. She spent seven weeks in the Virden Hospital for care, further investigation and the hope of rehabilitation. Her bones and blood continued to deteriorate, and, in early July, she received a terminal cancer diagnosis. It was well advanced, impacting much of her body. After arrangements were made, she was able to return home for three and a half short weeks with her family, visiting often, showing much love and support. Irene passed comfortably at home on August 9, 2024, with Frank at her side.

Left to mourn her passing are her husband of almost 52 years, Frank Goertzen; children Melaney (Darren) Reimer, Will and Ava; Karen (Tim) Strydhorst, Kaylee and Brayden; and Jonathan (Pamela) Goertzen, Nathaniel and Milo. She will be missed greatly by her four sisters, one brother, their spouses, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law and many nieces and nephews.

The Goertzen family wishes to thank the staff at Virden General Hospital, home care and palliative care for their diligence in treating her and keeping her comfortable once she was home. They are also grateful to the many family members and friends who visited her and provided food for Frank and the children as they cared for her.


The Celebration of Irene's Life will take place at McDiarmid Drive Alliance Church, 635 McDiarmid Drive, Brandon, on Friday, August 16, 2024 at 3:00 p.m.

Donations in memory of Irene may be made to Adult & Teen Challenge – Brandon Women's Centre, 83 Kate Street, Winnipeg MB R3A 1J9, https://teenchallenge.tc/donate. Complete obituary information will follow