Irene Kaiser, age 90, passed away peacefully on Saturday, Sept. 7, in the South Lincoln Hospital. Irene was born March 4, 1929, in Dallas, Oregon, to Clinton and Doris Randall. She lived in Portland, Oregon, and then Washougal, Washington, graduating from Washougal High School in 1948. She attended Clark College in Vancouver, Washington.
On Sept. 4, 1948, she married Chauncey Kaiser. They made their home in Washougal, where Chauncey was a barber and she was a stay-at-home mom. It was here that they raised their two children, Doris and Paul.
Irene loved to cook. She canned fruits and vegetables from their garden, and she also canned fish. She was a loving mother and was always there to take her children and their friends on their adventures. She tried to make sure that her children learned about God and were nice to others. She was a den mother, a Girl Scout leader, and worked with the youth of her church, going on many campouts at the church campground at Ocean Park.
Irene was a storyteller and loved to tell Indian folklore tales. She also liked to go to the Bear River Mountain Man Rendezvous and was known as Raven Woman. Irene loved animals, especially dogs. She enjoyed sewing, camping and being outdoors. She was always working on a craft project, and each year the great-grandchildren got a Christmas decoration made by her. She also made a quilt for each of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
In 1992, Chauncey and Irene moved to Kemmerer to be closer to their grandchildren and attend their activities. In 2005, Irene moved to Spokane Valley, Washington, to be near Doris and her family. At the age of 80, she learned how to spin yarn and joined a spinning club there. She moved back to Kemmerer in 2010. She loved living in Kemmerer and visiting with everyone she met. A trip to the grocery store was never a quick trip!
Irene’s family meant everything to her. She loved visits from her family, especially her great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren. Every year, she looked forward to the Kaiser family Christmas party so she could be with them.
Irene is survived by her sister, Shirley Strausbaugh of Ellensburg, Washington; her brother, Stanley (Pam) Randall, of Galt, California; her children, Doris (Keith) Tong, of Spokane Valley, Washington, and Paul (Laurie) Kaiser, of Diamondville; seven grandchildren; 23 great-grandchildren; two great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews.
Irene was preceded in death by her loving husband of 53 years, Chauncey Lloyd Kaiser; her parents; and a brother-in-law, Dee Strausbaugh.
Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Stake Center in Kemmerer.
