Irene Lydia Winter

The family was very poor and lived in a long log cabin with a kitchen, living room, eating area and two bedrooms where all 7 slept. Wilton and Irene started school at the same time when she was about 8 years old. It was a long walk about 4 miles away each way. In 1939 her parents decided to move to Barrhead where the grandparents lived, dad’s only brother, Uncle Fred. School was located on a farm in Meadowdale about 2 ½ miles from home. The new home had 1 bedroom up and 2 bedrooms down, so the boys had a larger room and Irene had one all to herself.

On the farm (160 acres) they raised cows, pigs, horses, chickens and sometimes geese and ducks. Irene’s job was to feed chickens, gather eggs and help mom in the home, baking at 13 years old.

The family attended a small Pentecostal church in Bloomsbury. During the same time the family purchased a piano and continued to keep it in the family until Irene donated it to her previous home for their entertainment center in 2019.

At the age of 17, Irene dedicated her life to Jesus at Alberta Beach Camp and was baptized at the lake by pastor Art Schultz on her 18th birthday.

By then her dad had taught her to drive. She had many memorable times with friends going to special services and various celebrations.

For the next few years Irene worked as a waitress in Barrhead, then moved to Edmonton in 1954 to attend Bible school and worked at a Jewish lady’s home for room and board. Irene eventually moved to Vancouver where she met her future husband, Arnold in 1957. They married August 31st, 1958. Arnold was 31 and they were married in a Pentecostal church in Vancouver.

They were blessed a year later with Harold Allan, June 1959 and followed by Marianne Lousie, September 1960.

A few years later Arnold, being a carpenter, built a home at 38th and Fraser. Irene’s parents lived in the basement suite as her dad, having parkinson’s needed constant attention. Irene and Arnold and family attended the German Pentecostal Church in Vancouver and still have many friends from that time.

Arnold built another home, with son Harold, in Surrey 1971. They attended a small church in Surrey where Irene played the piano, accordion and directed the choir. During this time she worked in various places cleaning houses. This church closed down so she followed Marianne (married in 1986) to her church CLA in Langley. She was blessed with grandson Jeff, 1987, Chad 1989, and Tamara in 1992. Irene moved in 1994 and continued attending CLA until Arnold passed away July, 1997 from cancer. They had many happy memories including a trip to Germany, Hawaii, US and an Alaskan Cruise.

Irene found forever friends at the Nazarene Church on 200th in Langley. She thrived there playing piano, singing in choir, painting and cleaning and enjoyed volunteering at various overseas organizations. Irene served there for 13 years and loved being a member of this community. Harold married Farah in August 2018 and was blessed with another grandson, Calen. In 2019 Irene moved to ElimVillage in Chilliwack to be near family where she was also surrounded by loving Christians.

Again she thrived with community, had a large 89th birthday with new friends and family, single ladies tea, games hymn singing and numerous walks outside.

Irene was beginning to have some serious falls and then in 2015 broke her femur, which kept her in hospital for a month and then August 2021 broke her pelvic bone and unfortunately spent her 90th birthday in the hospital. She had been plagued with stomach issues for long while and on December 19th, complained of severe backache. After admitting her to the hospital overnight, family and friends visited and Irene was her joyful self, joking like usual. That evening she had a gallbladder surgery and never recovered.

She arrived to be with her Lord Jesus December 20th, 2021.