Irene Eleanor Anderson, 90, of Stanley, North Dakota returned to her Heavenly Father, June 4, 2018. She was born June 10, 1927 in the Finnish Community of Rural Belden, North Dakota to William and Mary (Niemitalo) Hill.

Irene grew up on the family farm southwest of Belden and attended country school through the 8th grade. Irene graduated from Stanley High School with honors. While working as a waitress at the Home Plate Café in Stanley, she met her future husband, Arvid Anderson. They were married January 25, 1947 in Wolf Point, Montana. For a short time they made their home in Casper, Wyoming, before returning to the Anderson family farm where they worked side by side for many years. Irene drove grain trucks, hauled meals to the field, milked cows and enjoyed spending many hours on her riding lawnmower keeping her yard beautiful.

She loved working in her flower beds, gardening, canning, baking buns and putting on the Christmas Eve supper for her large family. She looked forward to visits from her children and grandchildren and they were always treated to her homemade buns and summer sausage sandwiches. Some of her favorite pastimes were fishing, watching baseball games and the Wheel of Fortune on t.v. with Arvid. Irene was a lifetime member of Scandia Valley Church in rural Stanley. After Scandia Valley Church dissolved she and Arvid became members of Our Saviours Free Lutheran Church in Stanley. Irene spent the last four winters in Arizona, leaving our family and the friends she made there with many special memories. Irene had a great sense of humor and always enjoyed a good laugh and a humorous story.

Irene is preceded in death by her parents, William and Mary Hill; her loving husband, Arvid Anderson; brothers, Ervin and John; sisters, Esther, Ina, Toini, Sally, Lempi, an infant sister and great grandson Kolt Poeckes.

Left behind to treasure her memory are her daughters, Patty (Rod) Barstad, Joan (Larry) Barstad, Jane (Marshall) Craft, Peggy (Andy) Cowan; son, Jerome (Peggy) Anderson; thirteen grandchildren; thirty four great-grandchildren; four great-great grandchildren; numerous nieces, nephews and sister-in-law, Cora Anderson.

Irene will be greatly missed by her friends and family.