Irene Virginia Boxberger was born on November 27, 1916 and grew up on the family farm in Russell County Kansas, the daughter of Emanuel and Mary Elizabeth Milberger Dumler. She attended Bunker Hill School and later Russell High School, from which she graduated in 1932. She died January 7, 2013 at her home in Great Bend.
After graduation, she worked at the Russell County Wheat Board and later at the Home State Bank in Russell, where she was the Secretary to the Bank President, C.W. Shaffer.
In April 1939, Irene married Carl William Boxberger, son of Henry George Boxberger and Eugenia Becker Boxberger of Russell County Kansas. They lived in Russell and later in Dodge City, where their son Gary was born. They moved to Great Bend where their son Donald was born and later, their daughter Linda.
While Irene was a homemaker after marriage, she took meticulous care of the household accounts, and at various times the books of the family’s business. She was proud of the skills she had learned during her working years and was happy to use them for her family benefit. She was an active member of Trinity Lutheran Church, where she taught Sunday School, Mid-Week Bible School, and served in her Church Circle.
Irene and Carl were serious players in couples’ bridge clubs and Irene also enjoyed playing in ladies’ bridge clubs. She had loved playing cards and games since childhood. She also enjoyed playing golf. Irene loved to travel. Besides traveling with Carl to visit family, for decades she enjoyed an annual trip to Colorado with women friends. Irene made frequent trips in Kansas, elsewhere in the US, and toured overseas with friends.
In her last years, Irene appreciated and enjoyed the care and companionship of in-home caregivers. She was grateful for their care and for the opportunity to stay in her home, where she enjoyed watching her backyard bird feeders and flower gardens.
Irene was preceded in death by: her parents; son, Donald Boxberger; husband, Carl W. Boxberger; brother Dale Emanuel Dumler; sister Whilmetta Horn; and niece Karen Rein Pendland. She was also preceded in death by in-laws Ed Ethem; Virginia and Eddie Rein; and Max Horn.
She is survived by: her son, Gary Boxberger; daughter, Linda Boxberger and her husband Awad A. Abdelgadir; grandson David Emanuel Boxberger and his wife Barbara, great-granddaughters Alexandra Irene and Christina and great-grandson Maxwell; granddaughter Marianne Gold and her husband Irwin and great-granddaughter Lauren; and grandson John Boxberger. She is also survived by: nephew Bill Horn and his companion June Murray; niece Lynne Royce and her husband Paul Petzold; nephew Kirk Kreie; niece Audrey Rein Vaughn and her husband Stan Vaughn, great-nephew Mark Vaughn, great-niece Whitney Vaughn; great-niece Conner Pendland and great-nephew Brett Pendland; and nephew Henry Ethem. She is survived by in-laws Joanne and James Kreie, Ruth Boxberger, and Esther Ethem.
Services will be held at Trinity Lutheran Church on Friday, January 11, 2013 at 11:00AM in Great Bend, Kansas. Visitation will be Thursday January 10, 2013 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. at Bryant Funeral Home, with the family receiving friends from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. Memorials are suggested to Trinity Lutheran Church in care of Bryant Funeral Home. Arrangements are provided by Bryant Funeral Home, 1425 Patton Road, Great Bend, Kansas 67530. www.bryantfh.net.