Irene Hazel (Holland) Collin, passed away peacefully on Thursday, February 2, 2017, at the St. Clare Living Community in Mora, Minnesota. She was 88 years old.
Irene was born in Buffalo, MN to Henry and Melba (Fadden) Holland. She had 12 brothers and five sisters. The family moved to Princeton when Irene was young.
In 1947, Irene met and married one of the bachelors next door, Edwin Collin. They had six children. Eventually, they moved to a farm by Day. Upon retirement, they sold the farm and moved to Onamia. When Ed passed away on May 29, 1997, Irene moved to the Woodcrest apartments in Mora until when her health started to fail. Eventually, she went into St. Clare’s for long term care.
Irene will be remembered for the hard work she did on the farm, her beautiful hand-embroidered dish towels, the made-from-scratch meals (even though sometimes she had to struggle to come up with enough food for eight people), how much she loved to play card games, and her great sense of humor. It didn’t take much to make her get the giggles. She was a loving, wonderful wife, mother, grandmother, sister, aunt, and friend.
Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Ed; parents; and brothers, Leon, Arden (Jim), Gordon (Dutch), John, Clyde, Clayton; and sister Merle Sissala.
She is survived by her children, Joan (Ken) Soles, Linda (Gene) Brunk, Rose Collin, Sandra (Bob) Tipp, Pamela (Kevin) Johannes, and Roy (Joy) Collin; grandchildren, Heather Johnson (Don Wagenman), Michael (Julee) Gessinger, Andrea Soles (Mark Fallon), Matthew Elfmann, Lora Elfmann, Todd Brunk, Tim (Desiree) Brunk, Wesley (Julie) Brunk, Jennifer Kloos, James (Kristine) Lindgren, Brandon Tipp, Troy Tipp, Eric Tipp, Erik (Jessie) Wheeler, Courtney (Tyler) Freihammer, Cody Johannes, and Melissa (Drew) Everett; great-grandchildren, Stephanie Blooflat, Clint Johnson, Dakota Helmbrecht, Emma Gessinger, Eli Gessinger, Olivia Young, Caleb Fallon, Jayde Brunk, Gloria Brunk, Thomas Brunk, Wesley Brunk, Edward Anderson, Jolie Nielsen, Crystal Lindgren, Douglas Lindgren, Brooke Tipp, Teegan Tipp, Alexander Tipp, Jett Wheeler, Chase Wheeler, Willow Freihammer, Josie Freihammer, and Easton Everett; great-great grandson Aden Bakkene; siblings, Sally, Glen, Betty, Ruby, Francis (Bob), Delbert, Kathy, Bill, Dale and Merlin.
A memorial service will be held in the spring of 2017 at the Zion Lutheran Church in Mora. Condolences may be posted at www.aifuneralhome.com.