Irene Christman Schmierer, 94, of Savage, Montana, passed away peacefully on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at Sidney Health Center with family by her side.

Irene was born July 14, 1929, in Zap, ND to parents Christ and Emma (Richau) Christman. She was the second to be born of sixteen children. She lived on the Lakota Sioux Indian Reservation until age eleven when the family moved to Montana near Fairview. At that time, Irene was unable to further education as she was needed at home to take care of her younger siblings and help with chores.

As teenagers, Irene and her sisters would frequent the Dreamland dance hall where she met her soon-to-be husband Gottlieb Schmierer. They married on August 5, 1946, in Glendive, Montana. She rejoiced in this day as she went from working the sugar beet fields by hand to a farmer with actual beet digging equipment. Their starter home was in the Midway Community.

In 1950, they moved to the farm at Savage and started their family. Gottlieb and Irene were blessed with three children: Dennis, Dee Ann, and Lee Roy. They also raised Irene’s brother Delton whom they considered more of a son than a brother. Irene and Delton were closer than any siblings could be.

Irene was a full-time farm wife while also raising kids, a garden, and chickens. She was very proud of her blue Ford truck which she drove for many grain, corn, and beet harvests. She was always on call to flag farm equipment down the road to the next field. As busy as she was, most importantly her house and car were always meticulously clean.

Irene spent many enjoyable hours attending her children and grandchildren’s activities from school sports, programs, concerts, and in her later years, demolition derbies. Her faith and church were especially important to her. She served as the Sunday School Superintendent, ALCW treasurer, chairperson of the 2-3 prayer chain, and member of the Sunshine Club. She and the church ladies would play Bingo with the residents at Richland Homes and Sunrise Manor. She always looked forward to the quilting sessions and preparing for the lutefisk dinners. Her specialties that will be greatly missed were her fruit soup on Christmas Eve and fleisch kuechle on New Year’s Day. Her most cherished times were spent with her good friends Edith Micheletto, Lydia Badt, and Ilene Stanford, at Christman family reunions, and traveling with Gottlieb to attend LYREC meetings.

Irene moved to the Savage Sunrise Manor in October of 2022 where she remained until her death. She was a very hard worker and now her time has come for rest.

Irene is survived by her children Dennis (Karen) Schmierer, Dee Ann (Fred) Sifuentes, Lee Roy (Charity) Schmierer, Delton (Jean) Christman, eleven grandchildren, and twenty-two great-grandchildren, along with siblings Martha, Delores, Betty, Grace, Linda, Caroline, Karen, and Calvin.

She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Gottlieb, sisters Edna, Florence, Mildred, and Francis, and brothers Vernon and Clarence.