Ipswich - The funeral service for Irene D. Buechler will be 10:30 a.m. Friday at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Ipswich with Pastor Nathan Henschen leading the worship service. Burial will be in the Ipswich City Cemetery. Visitation will be 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. today at Gramm-Hein Funeral Home in Ipswich and for one hour prior to the service at the church on Friday. A prayer service will be 7:30 p.m. tonight at Gramm-Hein Funeral Home. Irene D. (Wolf) Buechler was born to George L. and Lydia (Schnaible) Wolf on June 10, 1919, on a farm three miles north of Java, S.D. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Java. She attended country school through the eighth grade. During her high school years she lived in a boarding house in Java and graduated as the president of her class at Java High School in 1938. Following graduation she moved to Minneapolis, where she worked for many years in a defense plant and at Dayton's. On Oct. 29, 1945, she married Edwin "Beadle" Buechler at St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Java. They resided in Bowdle where they were blessed with three children, Loren, Cheryl and Cynthia. In 1957 Edwin was elected to be Edmunds County Register of Deeds and they moved to Ipswich, S.D. Irene was employed for many years as a clerk for Federal Crop Insurance, Edmunds County Conservations Service and also as a clerk in the Ipswich Post Office. She retired in 1989 at the age of 70. She enjoyed working with the public. Irene was very active in many community and church activities. She was active in her children's activities as they were growing up. Irene had served as a Sunday School Teacher, Brownie Scout Leader, and helped with 4-H. She was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Twentieth Century Club, Extension Club, Mother's Club, Sewing Club and TOPS. She was a charter member of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, the church that she and Edwin were instrumental in founding, and its Ladies Aide. She held many offices including president of all of these organizations. Irene also served as a local AAL representative and as the Edmunds County Cancer Crusade Treasurer for many years. She enjoyed cooking, quilting, embroidering, crocheting, visiting family and taking trips with her friends after she retired. Irene died in the early morning hours of Monday, Oct. 10, 2005. Thankful for having shared in Irene's life are her children, Loren (Jan) Buechler of Buffalo, Minn., Cheryl (Wayne) Schumacher of Moorhead, Minn., and Cynthia Buechler of Minneapolis, Minn.; her grandchildren, Nikki (Richard) Shariff of Zimmerman, Minn., Krisi Buechler of Oteseg, Minn., and Ryan Schumacher of Thief River Falls, Minn.; her great-grandchildren, Tennesee, Payton and Connor Shariff of Zimmerman, Minn.; sisters-in-law, Leila Wolf of Rapid City, S.D., Eileen Wolf of Middleboro, Mass., Hilda Walstead of Portland, Ore., and Kate Buechler of Klamath Falls, Ore.; and her brother-in-law, Jack Buechler of Lodi, Calif.; as well as many nieces and nephews. Her husband Edwin (1971), her parents, George (1968) and Lydia (1937), her brothers, Herman and Melvin, her sister, Viola, her half brother, Emil Wolf and half sister, Ida Wilson and her great-grandson, Austin Shariff all preceded Irene in death.
Published in the Aberdeen News on 10/13/2005.