Irene Frances North was born May 12, 1926 in Otterville, MO to George F. and Minnie W. (Geotz) Gargus. She passed away December 17, 2011 at Heartland of Willow Lane, Butler, MO.
Irene had a great sense of humor and was always smiling and joking with people. She called it “cutting up”. She was quick witted and could come up with some remarks that would make the best stand up comic envious.
She loved her family, friends and pets very much. She gave my brother and I many wonderful memories of a really good childhood.
The memories of fresh baked hot rolls and pies, of playing cards and games, of having friends and neighbors over and of having pets. Irene enjoyed animals and was especially fond of dogs and parakeets. Her three favorite dogs were a collie named Jerry Booty (my brother named it when he was very little), a border collie named Blackie and a coon hound named Missy. Her favorite parakeets, Frisky and Pretty Bird. Because Mom like animals so well, I was able to have more pets than many of my friends. She welcomed them all from Sam the red rooster to Jojo the gun-shy hunting dog to Nightmare the black cat who earned his name to Henry the black snake (until he got into the chicken house).
Mom was blessed in life to have had two loving husbands. Our father, Jesse Arvin and Mom had 29 years together before Pop passed. Three years later, Irene married Clifford North. Clifford was a very caring man and made a wonderful grandpa to our children. Mom and Clifford had 13 years together.
Irene spent the last 3 years of her life at Heartland of Willow Lane. It was home to her. She had many friends there and liked to just visit with them. Her favorite activity was “Girl Talk” where her friends and her would get together over coffee and talk about different subjects. She enjoyed the parties and little celebrations a lot but her favorite thing was “Pet visits”. On pet visit day, she would be ready early so she could have extra time with the visiting animals (she had her regulars a border collie and a large white dog). She liked the unusual ones too, a sheep, a lop-eared rabbit, a monkey, a pot bellied pig and a baby kangaroo.
Irene is survived by her son, Lloyd Arvin and wife Thresa of Otterville, MO. And their children; Lisa Schibi and her husband Jamie and their children Cody and Jessica of Sedalia, MO; Barbara Petree and her husband Wade and their children Alyssa and Logan of Tipton, MO; Kevin Arvin and his fiancé Kathleen Lewis of Warrensburg, MO to cherish her memory.; her daughter, Dorothy Holt and husband, Tom, Appleton City, MO, grandchildren, Brian Holt and wife Angela from Columbia, MO, Josh Holt , Des Moines, IA and Ray Holt, Grandview, MO. Also, two sisters-in-law, Eulah Gargus of Manito, IL., Mary Bennett of Clinton, MO., four nieces, two nephews and several cousins and many friends.
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