Irene Maude Burkhardt

Irene Burkhardt was born on January 22, 1925, in Fulton, Illinois to Charles and Blanche (Baker) Shear. She became a nursing student under the Cadet Nurse Program in March 1943 at Jane Lamb Nurses’ Training School in Clinton, Iowa, graduating that July. She did not get to serve through that program, but continued training and graduated as an RN in March of 1946. During that time she received special training at Cincinnati’s Children’s Hospital and, in later years, at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.

She married Paul Burkhardt on Christmas Day, December 25, 1946. They made their home first in Clinton, Iowa, moving next to New Prague, Minnesota, and then to Fargo in the early 1950’s. For 23 years, Irene worked in Pediatrics at St. Luke’s Hospital in Fargo as Head Nurse.
She had enjoyed spinning wool at WMSTR demos for almost 40 years. Irene loved watching sporting events on TV while tatting, knitting and crocheting. She made over 500 tatted ornaments many of which were original designs. In her last years, she gave half of the larger ornaments away to people encountered in restaurants, stores and at church. She rarely missed any at-home RedHawks baseball games since the team was organized and had been a very, very devoted Chicago Cubs fan all her life. Her special pets had been her dog, Max and cat Mr. Murphy. She had been living at Rosewood on Broadway before her death.

Irene was a member of First Lutheran Church and Sons of Norway in Fargo. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Paul in 2002; sister, Charlene (Mrs. Donald) Matthews and brother, Eugene. She is survived by daughter, Pam as well as numerous nieces, nephews and their children.

Memorials may be sent to First Lutheran Church, the Salvation Army and the Roger Maris Cancer Center. No flowers please.