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Irene Colvin Obituary

COLVIN, IRENE HELTON, passed away June 11, 2013, following a short illness.

She was born September 8, 1925, in Gordon, KY.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Frank Helton and Cora Fields Helton, and by her first husband, Elmer C. Wilson. Irene is survived by her husband, John H. Colvin, Sr., and by a host of nieces, nephews and extended family members.

Irene was a school teacher in Letcher County, KY, prior to moving to Louisville, where she worked at American Tobacco Company and Reynolds Aluminum. Mrs. Colvin was an avid gardener, reader, and care-giver, work was a joy to her, and she often left a demanding job at the end of the day to attend to a family member or to her beloved home and property. Irene's mental faculties are legendary, and even during her recent hospitalization, added details to the historian's or commentator's remarks as she watched programs on television. She was the historian of the family, sharing stories that none of the relatives had recalled about the early years.

A funeral service honoring the life of Irene will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Evergreen Funeral Home with entombment in Evergreen Cemetery, Visitation will be Friday, from 4-8 p.m. at the funeral home.

Expressions of sympathy may be made out to Crusade for children. Please leave your online condolence for the family at evergreen-louisville.com.

Published by Courier-Journal on Jun. 13, 2013.
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Memories and Condolences
for Irene Colvin

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You are a kind and loving Aunt. We always enjoyed seeing you at the pitch-in dinner. We always enjoyed seeing you and talking with you.

You will be missed,
Jack and Lois Helton

Lois Helton

June 30, 2013

We've lost a very special person.A great person and good friend.

June 13, 2013

Aunt Irene, you continued to the last hours of your life to be more focused on the needs of others than on your own. What a model of human kindness you are! All of your big family had only love, gratitude, and thankfulness for you. We will always miss you, but will have lots of stories to share. Marsha Cornett DeWitt (Edgewood, KY)

June 13, 2013

Aunt Irene, your love for all of us was always so apparent, and your strength and independence was amazing. You were the last of all those brothers and sisters, and I could still see my granny when I looked in your eyes. And you gave me one of my favorite gifts of all time, that big animal book with the great section on dinosaurs. I wore that thing out reading it so often. We will always miss you. Love from your nephew Patrick (Phyllis Ingram Obregon's son / Bonnie Helton Kelly's grandson).

Patrick Obregon

June 12, 2013

Irene loved to talk about life growing up in the mountains and I loved to listen. Thanks Irene.

Charlene Helton

June 12, 2013

Irene was my father's last living sibling. My dad passed in 1996 so I especially loved seeing Aunt Irene and hearing her talk because her intonations and mannerisms were so much like my daddy's. Her quiet dry wit was like his too. A woman of few words, but when she spoke, you wanted to listen!
Since my family was living in VA for the past 20+ years, our face-to-face times were sadly very limited...but conversations on the phone were rich and full of love.

I will miss her SO much--just knowing she was of the same blood as my own father was always such a great comfort to me. Now, they are together again.

Save a place for me! I plan to reunite with you all in Glory some sweet day!

Nell Helton Roberts

June 12, 2013

From the first time I met you, Irene, your warmth and wit were apparent, as was your love for your family. Thank you for your tenacity and kindness over the years. Thinking of you will always bring a smile to my face. You will be missed by us all, and I feel blessed to have been your niece-in-law.

Kara VanDam

June 12, 2013

Irene was my mother's sister and the last connection we nieces and nephews have to our 'Appalachian stock.' She was reared in the mountains of SE KY. We are very proud of that heritage and have always been proud of our dear Aunt Irene. Though she did not live in pioneer days when paths were carved into the Appalachian wilderness, when homesteads were created surrounded by bears and dense forest, she had the spirit and strength of a pioneer. Well into her 87th year, she was still cutting the grass, trimming the shrubs, and sawing up fallen trees after a storm. She cared for her husband's every need when his strength was failing. None who met her would have believed her age because her wit was sharp and her appearance was youthful. We can only be in awe of this amazing woman's independent spirit and inspired to listen when she spoke. She remembered past history and family stories that made us laugh and made us cry. She is irreplaceable and unforgettable to our family, and we are richer by far for having her in our lives. We will see her again, but not in this life on earth. God bless and keep you until that day, my dearest Aunt Irene.
Phyllis Ingram Obregon (daughter of Bonnie Helton Kelly) Naples, FL

Phyllis Obregon

June 12, 2013

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Funeral services provided by:

Evergreen Funeral Home & Cemetery

4623 Preston Highway, Louisville, KY 40213

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