Irene P. "Gotham" Wicke

Irene P. Wicke of Chapin Township, age 97, passed away peacefully Sunday morning, March 29, 2026, at Union Court Assisted Living, Chesaning, Michigan.
The daughter of William and Daisy (Hall) Gotham, Irene was born September 2, 1928, in Saginaw, Michigan. She attended Chesaning High School. She married John E. Wicke on December 27, 1947. They celebrated nearly fifty years of marriage before he passed away in November of 1997. Together they raised five rambunctious sons: John, Jack, Melvin, James, and Lewis. Besides raising her family, she worked at Mitchell Bentley Corp. in Owosso and retired from Lear Corp. in Elsie in 1990.
John and Irene enjoyed camping and were long time members of the Showboat Wheelers camping club, volunteering for many years at the Showboat Festival campgrounds. They also enjoyed many camping trips with friends and relatives, usually involving fishing in Canada and the U.P. They loved to travel, making many trips in the Winnebago, and later in the fifth wheel, traveling throughout the United States, including Alaska and out west, particularly California.
Irene was a wonderful cook. Her Kolaches were legendary at Christmas, and no potluck was complete without her delicious lasagna. She could usually be found bustling around in the kitchen, or enjoying a cup of coffee with visitors sitting around the kitchen bar. She loved her coffee! She also enjoyed doing crafts, gardening, and sewing. With each new grandchild she pieced together a baby quilt, well-loved keepsakes.
She returned to school in 1974 to earn her high school diploma. She was a member of Racy Free Methodist Church and was active in the ladies' aid.
She is survived by three sons: Jack (Sharon), James, and Lewis (Elsa); daughter-in-law, Lorraine Goward; 19 grandchildren: John, David (Angie), Patrick, Tim (Jennifer), Matthew (Angie), Marcus (Heather), Laura (Parker), Erich (Erin), Daisy (Jason), Lily, Diane (Terry), Sandy (Mark), Roger (Kay), Kim, Rick, Angelo, Grace (Ben), Joseph, and Sheila (Frankie); 34 great-grandchildren; and several great-great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by her parents, William and Daisy Gotham; parents-in-law, John and Pansy Wicke; husband, John; sons, John and Melvin; grandsons, Theodore, Scott, Kevin and Rodney; daughter-in-law, Patricia Wicke; her brother, Thomas Gotham; and sister, Annabell Cook.
Funeral services will be held at 12:00 p.m. Saturday, April 11, 2026, at Racy Free Methodist Church, 19983 West Brady Road, Chapin Township, with Rev. John James officiating. Visitation with the family will be at the church from 10:00 a.m. until time of service.
The family would like to thank Union Court Assisted Living for the wonderful care Irene received the past year and a half, as well as the Heart-to-Heart Hospice nurses who so lovingly cared for her in her final days.
You may light a memorial candle or share a memory at misiukfuneralhome.com.
Misiuk Funeral Home
202 South Front Street
Chesaning, Michigan 48616
989-845-3096