Irene Helen Dahlen, a cherished mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-grandmother, sister, and friend, was called to her heavenly home on August 8, 2026, at the age of 96.

Irene was born at home on January 16, 1930, on her family's farm near Ada, Minnesota. She graduated from Ada High School in 1948 and was married in the same year. She was the mother of five wonderful children: Harvey, Dianne (David), Donald (Linda), Barbara, and Robert (Terri).

During the 1960s, Irene was employed at both the local school and nursing home in Twin Valley, Minnesota. She had a lifelong passion for baking and preparing homemade meals, which she was able to do during her employment at these places.

In the early 1970s, in her 40s, Irene enrolled at North Dakota State College of Science to pursue her Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) degree. Following her graduation, she started working at St. Francis Medical Center in Breckenridge, Minnesota, as a Respiratory Therapist. After twenty-one years of dedicated service, Irene retired in 1995.

Throughout her life, Irene cherished traveling. She participated in numerous bus trips across the United States with friends and family, including her sister Verona.  Her favorite destinations were Branson, Missouri, and Disneyland.

In addition to traveling, Irene enjoyed meeting with friends for coffee and engaging conversations. She valued her friendships deeply and appreciated reminiscing about earlier days.

Irene was a dedicated and active member of Grace Lutheran Church in Breckenridge. She took great pride in her involvement with the Lutheran Women's Missionary League (LWML), and dedicated many hours to quilting for World Relief and organizing efforts for the Orphan Grain Train. Irene sewed hundreds of quilt tops, as well as baby blankets, receiving blankets, and burp cloths, which she donated to her church and shared with family members. At age 86, she was featured in the Wahpeton Daily News for sewing 100 quilt tops in that year alone.

Her hobbies included baking, gardening, reading, solving word searches, and rarely missing an episode of Wheel of Fortune. Even at the age of 94, Irene continued making Christmas cookies as gifts for others. She also enjoyed making lefse, doughnuts, buns, caramel rolls, and cinnamon twists. Anyone who had the opportunity to taste her homemade goods would agree she was so talented and that baking was truly one of her love languages.

Irene took great pride in her yard and the beautiful flowers it contained. At one point, over 1,200 tulips, along with an array of other stunning blooms, could be seen in her yard.  She also loved her apple tree and sharing its fruit.  Some of the many things she made with the apples included countless apple pies, apple crisps, applesauce, and her favorite—apple pandowdy.

Irene is survived by her two brothers, Wayne(Dorothy) and Herb(Gail), as well as her five children and numerous grandchildren and many greats. She was preceded in death by her parents, Theodore and Lillian, her sister Verona, her brother Merle, and two grandsons Isaiah and Joseph.

Irene leaves behind a beautiful legacy and will be eternally remembered as a hard-working, loving, servant-hearted, and compassionate person who was always willing to help others.  She will be missed terribly by all who had the fortune to know and love her.

Funeral Services will be held at 11:00 am on Thursday, August 13, 2026, at Grace Lutheran Church in Breckenridge, MN.  Visitation will be one hour before the funeral at the church on Thursday.  Burial and committal ceremony will be at 3:00 pm Thursday afternoon at St. John's Cemetery, rural Ada, MN.