Irene June Reischke

Irene June Reischke, 96,

Minot, formerly of Ken-

mare, ND, passed away

Sunday, August 2, 2020 at

a Minot assisted living fa-

cility.

Irene June Reischke was

born June 14, 1924 at

Kenmare Hospital, Ken-

mare, ND to Ella Juliane

Hansen. She was raised

by her parents, Charlie

Shortridge and Ella J.

(Hansen) Shortridge in

Kenmare, Edson and

Pleasant area. Irene at-

tended rural schools and

Kenmare High School.

Irene met a local farm

boy and on July 12, 1940

married Orval Burdell

Reischke in Plentywood,

Montana. Orval and Irene

purchased his family farm

in Stafford Township,

Renville County in 1941

and started their farming

career along with raising

their 3 children. They

later purchased a

home/farm in Lakeview

Township, Burke County.

Irene and Orval made

many trips around the

United States and Canada

sight-seeing, attending

family reunions and trav-

eling back and forth to

Salem, Oregon. They

moved to Salem, Oregon

in 1965 but returned in

1970. They sold their

farmstead in 1974 and

moved to Kenmare while

continuing to farm. In

1989, they moved to rural

Sherwood and enjoyed

gardening and socializing

in Sherwood. In 2000,

they moved to Kenmare

where Orval died on Oc-

tober 30, 2000.

Irene has lived at

Brookdale/Elmcroft for the

past few years.

She was a past member

of Newport (Immanuel)

Baptist Church, rural Nor-

ma and First Baptist

Church of Kenmare. She

also attended the Metho-

dist Church while in

Sherwood and Kenmare.

She taught Bible School

and Sunday School. Irene

was treasurer of a Mission

Circle and past president

of the Kenmare Hospital

Auxiliary. She enjoyed

her farm life, canning and

tending to her flowers,

making donuts for springs

work and harvest and

leaving time for a good

book. We could always

hear her humming as she

worked, as she loved

music and of course her

family and friends.

Surviving family in-

cludes: children, Robert

Leo Reischke, Helena,

MT, Kenneth Orval (Vir-

gene) Reischke, Glen

Ewen, Sask. and Caroline

June (James) Derry, Ken-

mare, ND; Grandchildren,

Kenton Jay (Sandy)

Reischke, Korena June

(Randy) Merkley, both of

Glen Ewen, Sask., Eric

James Derry (Colleen Ban-

zhof), Thompson, ND and

Sarah June (Scott) Mar-

tian, Bowman, ND; 14

great-grandchildren; 7

great-great-grandchildren,

along with several nieces,

nephews and cousins.

Irene was preceded in

death by: her parents,

Charlie and Ella Shor-

tridge; husband of 60

years, Orval; biological fa-

ther, Leo “Lee” Ackerman

and his two daughters,

Irene’s half-sisters, Col-

leen and Florence.

A private family grave-

side service will take

place at the Rosehill

Cemetery, rural Norma,

ND. A public celebration

of life will take place at a

later date.

Those wishing to sign

the online register and

share memories may ac-

cess the online obituaries

section at www.thompson

larson.com.