Irina Krumins

Irina was born in Liepaja, Latvia, September 4, 1932, to Haralds and Olga Freimanis. She had a sister, Xenia, eight years older. Her childhood was spent on the shores of the Baltic Sea, where she enjoyed going on picnics with her family. In 1940-41, Latvia lost its independence and was occupied by the USSR and her father was one of over 15,000 Latvian citizens deported to Siberia or Kazakhstan. Her mother escaped Latvia with both daughters in August, 1944, and they spent years in displaced persons camps, where Irina finished her secondary education and met her life partner, Egons, in Eutin. In 1951, she and her mother boarded a ship to Boston where their sponsor lived. In the meantime, Egons and his family also emigrated to America, where they met their sponsor in Hendersonville NC. They eventually got back together in Cleveland and moved to the suburbs where they lived until 2015. After first coming to America, Irina worked menial jobs until 1953 when she started at the Fisher Body - Cleveland plant when Christine was just six weeks old. In 1955, she was transferred to the Euclid plant just six weeks before Karina was born. She started as a clerk in Salary Payroll and retired as the Comptroller's secretary from General Motors after 32 years of dedicated service.

Outside of work, Irina was involved with neighborhood activities and the women's auxiliary of the Latvian Lutheran Church. However, her life revolved mainly around her family. She was the heart and soul of the family and everyone's greatest cheerleader. She accompanied Egons to his various table tennis practices and competitions, as well as to his stamp club meetings. They were excellent dancers and were often the center of attention with their quick and graceful steps. Vacations were spent with her sister or Egons' brother and their families. Once the daughters were married, vacations and holidays were spent with them and their significant others. Irina's mother lived with them until her death at the age of 85.

The next greatest grief in her life came when her daughter, Karina, died of cancer at the age of 60 in 2015. Irina and Egons moved to Northville, MI, soon after to be closer to their other daughter, Chris. Less than a year later, Egons fell, breaking a hip, which ultimately caused his passing. Irina developed a painful neuralgia and, like her mother, also suffered the symptoms of heart disease for many years. A CT scan six weeks before her death revealed she had pulmonary fibrosis, an uncurable disease that scars and damages the lung tissue, making it increasingly difficult to breathe. After two months in the hospital and rehab center, Irina was discharged to her home where efforts were made to keep her comfortable. Chris, along with two wonderful caregivers, loved and cared for Irina until the day she could catch her breath no more. Irina got her wish - she died at home - and is no longer in pain. Her cremains will be interred at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township, Michigan, next to her husband's, with her mother on one side and her daughter on the other.

Irina was a woman of faith and the nucleus of her family. She was loving, kind, welcoming, warm, caring, chipper, nurturing, attractive, stylish, a hard worker, organized, trustworthy, and, to many, already an angel. She has been reunited with her parents, sister, husband, daughter, and son-in-law, and lives in the hearts of those who knew her.

Memorial visitation will occur at 11:00 am on Saturday, May 6, at A. H. Peters Funeral Home in Warren, MI, with a Memorial Service to follow at noon. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity of your choice.