Irene Z. Rowe

Celebration of Life Services:  Saturday, June 15, 2019, 2:00 P.M., Grace United Methodist Church, 112 N. Walnut Street, Glenwood, Iowa.

Irene was the born in Grand Forks B.C. Canada on July 6, 1938 to Henry and Elizabeth Barnaby of Malo, Washington. She was the youngest of four children. She loved her cats, dogs and horses. Irene graduated from Curlew, Washington High School in 1956 and moved to California to live with her sister in Redwood City. She met William Rowe at an International Folk Dance party there. Later when they started going together, she joined the group that he was dancing with. They were married November 1, 1958 and lived in San Francisco, Marin and Mendocino county in California before moving to Iowa on the Rowe family farm north of Glenwood in 1968. A daughter, Becky and son, Kevin were born in California.

She worked at Glen Haven Home for 26 years where her humility, gentleness, patience and love were hallmarks of her job as activity director and social worker. Irene was a member of Grace United Methodist Church where she played in the bell choir for many years. She enjoyed sewing, and made her own folk dance costumes, clothes for grandchildren and theater costumes. She enjoyed music; playing tenor saxophone in high school band, later mountain dulcimer and singing with family. She also enjoyed ceramics and really liked painting ceramic angels, making close to 50 or more and gave them to family and friends. Reading, her flower garden and dancing with Omaha International Folk Dancers and Scottish Country Dancers were also enjoyed. She taught Sunday School and was a 4-H leader for Jolly Juniors.

She worked at Glen Haven Home for 26 years where her humility, gentleness, patience and love were hallmarks of her job as activity director and social worker. She enjoyed sewing, and made her own folk dance costumes, clothes for grandchildren and theater costumes. She enjoyed music; playing tenor saxophone in high school band, later mountain dulcimer and singing with family. She also enjoyed ceramics and really liked painting ceramic angels, making close to 50 or more and gave them to family and friends. Reading, her flower garden and dancing with Omaha International Folk Dancers and Scottish Country Dancers were also enjoyed. She taught Sunday School and was a 4-H leader for Jolly Juniors.

She and her husband were part of the melodrama that began the Mills Masquers theater group. She played the heroine, Bill played the villain and Terry Barton played the sheriff. She continued in many other theatre productions as well. After many years of work to develop a community theater, the theatre now bears Barton-Rowe name.

She was a 40-year survivor of breast, brain and radiation induced cancer. In September of 2018, she fell and broke a hip and her husband made an apartment in the machine shed so they wouldn’t have steps to climb. Last November, they celebrated their 60th anniversary in that new apartment.

Preceding Irene in passing were her parents, half sister and two brothers. Survivors include her husband Bill Rowe of Glenwood, Iowa; daughter Rebecca and husband Dennis Neff of Glenwood, Iowa; Kevin and wife Debbie Rowe of Henderson, Nebraska and seven grandchildren.

Private Interment, West Liberty Cemetery, Glenwood, Iowa.

Memorials may be directed to the Barton Rowe Theater “Home of the Mills Masquers”.