Obit: Sletten, Irene (1910 - 2006)

Contact:  Crystal Wendt

Surnames: Sletten, Runkel, Vollmer, Malmaphy, McGaughey, Perino, Nelson

----Sources: The Star Tribune (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) 26 March 2006

Sletten, Irene (4 Dec. 1910 - 24 March 2006)

Sletten, Irene Runkel of Minneapolis, 95, died March 24, 2006. A memorial service will be held at the Cremation Society of Minnesota, 4343 Nicollet Ave, Mpls (612) 825-2435, Friday, March 31st at 11:00 am.

Irene was born in Chile, Wisconsin on Dec. 4, 1910, and attended school in Neillsville, Wisconsin. She and her family moved to Minneapolis in 1949. She was a long time employee of the Veterans' Administration Hospital in Minneapolis and a member of the Odd Fellows and Rebecca Lodge for over fifty years. Irene was a member of the Red Cross, American Legion, and the Disabled American Veterans' Auxiliaries. Irene remained a volunteer at the V.A. Hospital for 14 years after she retired from her employment there.

She is preceded in death by her sisters, Dorothy Vollmer and Genevieve Malamphy and husbands, Clarence McGaughey, C.M. Runkel and Howard Sletten. Irene is survived by her sons, Merton Runkel and wife Barbara, Stephen Runkel and wife Cheryl, John McGaughey and wife Penne; daughter, Kathleen Perino and special friend John Nelson. She had nine grandchildren and eleven great- grandchildren.

Irene lived life to the fullest, cared about others and proudly "always voted Democratic". She will be greatly missed by friends and family.