Irene Kueltzo died on Nov. 18, at the age of 103. She was born in Groningen, Amsterdam, on May 1, 1908, to Jennie and Lambert Hooibrink.
She married Louis F. Kueltzo, Sr. in 1929; he died in 1985. They had three children: Donald (Linda); Louis F., Jr. (Sandra); and Sharon (Jon) Bowers. She was the grandmother of 11, the great-grandmother of 27 and the great-great-grandmother of 2.
Predeceased are her brother, Fred, and sister, Gertrude. Irene lived in Forest Park, for approximately 70 years before moving to the Villa Ventura Retirement Home in Kansas City, Mo., in November 2006.
Irene grew up in the Roseland area and graduated from Fenger High School. Her first job was at the Continental Insurance Company in Chicago. In the early 1940s, Irene was Manager of the blinds and shades department at the Wieboldt’s Department Store in Oak Park. During the late ’40s and ’50s, she worked at the Oak Leaf Laundry, in Forest Park.
While living in Forest Park, she was very active at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church and school and, beginning in 1986, the Howard Mohr Senior Community Center.
Irene loved to travel, go fishing, read books and play Scrabble but her favorite past time was playing cards with her family and great grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church, 305 Circle Ave., Forest Park, IL, 60130.
Visitation is on Friday, Nov. 25, 5-9 p.m., at Zimmerman-Harnett Funeral Home, 7319 Madison St. The funeral is on Saturday, Nov. 26, with visitation at 10 a.m. A service will be held at 11 a.m. at St. John. Internment will follow at Concordia Cemetery, 7900 Madison St.
