Irmgard Irma Eva Streit

1935 - 2025

Irmgard Irma Eva Streit
Born: September 3, 1935 in Lelm, Germany
Died: April 18, 2025 in Princeton, IL
Princeton - Irmgard (Irma) Eva Streit passed away at her home on April 18, 2025, surrounded by her loved ones. Irma was born in West Prussia, Germany, to the late Wilhelm and Olga Pick on September 3, 1935. She attended and graduated from high school in Germany. At the age of 16, she met the love of her life, the late Arno Streit, and they married on December 12, 1953, in Lelm, Germany.
After their marriage, Arno and Irma were sponsored by a local Princeton farmer, Mr. Paul Miller, who had run an ad in the German newspaper looking for a farmhand that spoke German. Arno, with the assistance of his church, filled out the application, was hired, and arrived in the United States on May 21, 1952. Arno returned to Germany for his marriage to Irma in December of 1953 and then returned to the United States in January 1954. On August 22, 1954, Irma arrived at Midway Airport, and they began building a life together in rural Princeton.
Irma was a homemaker and worked hard alongside her husband on the farm for several years. She raised chickens and had an egg business selling eggs to Perry Memorial Hospital, two bakeries, and a restaurant in Princeton. She was also employed at Harper-Wyman in Princeton for over 30 years.
She was a 4-H leader. She delighted in teaching all the topics that she herself enjoyed including baking, crocheting, knitting, and sewing. She was a Room Mother for her children's classes in school, and went the extra mile baking special decorated cookies, as well as bringing baby farm animals and pets to school for the children to enjoy. She also filled in at the grade school cafeteria.
Irma was very gifted working with her hands. She was an excellent seamstress, sewing outfits for her family in the early years. She enjoyed crocheting and knitting everything from afghan blankets to socks, mittens, hats, scarves, sweaters and much more. For many years she painted ceramics and porcelain dolls and with her steady hand had a talent for making her pieces come to life by putting detailed expressions on the faces of each of her designs. What Irma loved most was sharing her creations with others at craft fairs and giving them as gifts to friends and her family. She entered many of her crafts in the Bureau County Fair and Sandwich Fair and won many first-place ribbons and several "Best of Show."
She had an appreciation for the beauty of flowers and spent many hours working in her flowerbeds each year. She enjoyed spending time outdoors and loved nature, all animals, and assisting with tending the family alpaca herd.
Surviving Irma are her three children who were the light of her life, Doris Streit of Princeton, IL, Ingrid Streit of Bettendorf, IA, and Harold (Brenda) Streit of Princeton, IL; one sister-in-law and many nieces and nephews in Germany.
Irma was preceded in death by her husband, Arno, in 2021; her parents, Wilhelm and Olga Pick; two brothers, Eitel Pick and Horst Pick; one sister, Edith Franz, and one niece, Inge.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family for charitable distribution.
A visitation will be held on Thursday, April 24, 2025, at Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments, in Princeton, IL from 5 to 7 p.m
Services for Irma will be on Friday, April 25, 2025, at St. Matthews Lutheran Church in Princeton, IL, at 10:30 a m. officiated by Pastor Scott Schmidt, followed by graveside services at Mason Cemetery in Princeton, IL.
Online condolences may be directed to www.norbergfh.com
Arrangements by Norberg Memorial Home, Inc. & Monuments.