Irene Kimm

1922 - 2019

Irene Agnes (VanEgmond) Kimm entered glory on April 3, 2019. She was born August 21, 1922 to John Van Egmond and Alice DePoel (Uiterdyk) Van Egmond at Coffee Creek, Montana. Her first eight years of school she attended Arrow Creek Grade School and began high school in Stanford. Later her parents moved to the Churchill area so she finished her high school education at Manhattan (public) School. In the fall of 1941 she attended Calvin College where she later earned a teaching certificate after two years. She went to teach in Denver Colorado for four years teaching second grade. These were during the years of World War II. When the war ended she returned to the Bozeman area and began teaching at Manhattan Christian School.

Irene married the love of her life, Wilbur Kimm on June 11,1948 and became a potato farmer's wife but later would return to teaching school for four more years. She loved gardening and raising beautiful flowers. In 1949 their son Bill was born and their daughter Gwen in 1950. In 1962 Leland and Miriam joined the family and later in 1964 their last son Scott was born.

Irene was a faithful wife, lovingly caring for her husband as he suffered many years with rheumatoid arthritis. This meant many times sitting long hours at the hospital while knee surgeries, etc. were performed. In 1995 at the end of potatoes harvest, Wilbur went home to be with the Lord. She then filled her years doing Bible Studies in her home, reading novels to women she knew, writing faithfully for Crossroads Bible Studies and baking her loved blueberry muffins to bring to others. She did lots of embroidery work and loved playing her piano; she still played beautifully at 96. Through all these years she was a faithful prayer warrior for her family. She lived to enjoy time with her 13 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her loving husband, Wilbur, her son-in-law, Ray Leenstra, her brothers Pete and William (Betty) and baby brother Harold, her half siblings: Ann (Phil) VanderHoek, Luwina (John) Groen, Hermina (John) Bos, Henry (Ida) Uiterdyk and also her in-laws Evelyn (Henry) Triemstra, Dorothy (George) Flikkema, Allan Kimm, Marian (John) LeFebre, Harold Kimm, Jay VanderArk, Helene (Dave) Hathaway. Surviving relatives include in -laws Will & Joanne Alberda, Evie Kimm, Dorothea Kimm, Elinor VanderArk, Dee Cornelison and Wilemina VanEgmond.

A memorial service will be held Monday, April 8, 2019 at Bethel Christian Reformed Church, Churchill, MT. Viewing will be Sunday, April 7 from 3 pm to 5 pm at Dokken and Nelson Funeral Home and Monday morning at 9am at Bethel CRC. Interment will be at 10 am at the Churchill Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Manhattan Christian School Foundation, 8000 Churchill Road, Manhattan, MT 59741

We would like to thank our pastors and all those who faithfully visited and cared for our dear mother.