Irene Catherine Streit

Irene Catherine Wesche Streit passed away February 12, 2020, in Redmond, Washington at the age of 102. She was born January 28, 1918, in Ridgeville Corners, Ohio, the fifth child of Carl John William Wesche and Emma Renetta Breninger.

She started Nurse Training at Lutheran Hospital in Fort Wayne, Indiana. After graduation from Nurse Training, a three-year program, she took a position as a public health nurse in Fort Wayne.

After the outbreak of World War II, she enlisted into the Army Nursing Corps, and was indoctrinated at Fort Benjamin Harrison, in Indianapolis, Indiana. After completing her indoctrination, she was posted to Ashford General Hospital, where she was schooled in anesthesiology. Upon completion of her anesthesiology training, she was posted to the 122nd General Hospital in Hereford England, where she worked in the surgical unit. In late 1945 she was honorably discharged from the Army and returned to a position with the visiting nurses service in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

In Fort Wayne she continued her nursing education through extension courses, and eventually earned enough credits to work on her degree full time at the University of Indiana, in Bloomington. To complete her degree in education, majoring in public health nursing she was required to spend a four-month period gaining field experience. For this purpose she interned at the Barry County, Michigan Public Health Department. While there she encountered a young public health engineer named John Streit, who would eventually become her spouse. Upon completion of her field experience, she graduated and returned to work for the Barry County Health Department. In July of 1948 John and Irene were engaged. In the meantime John took a position in the Wayne County Public Health Service. Occasionally, during this period the two would meet for University of Michigan football games, or rendezvous at a restaurant in Marshall Michigan. Their courtship resulted in their marriage on September 2, 1948.

John Henry Streit and Irene Catherine Wesche were wed by Father Dillon at St. Rose Parish in Hastings, Michigan on September 2, 1948. After their marriage they took up residence in St. Louis, Missouri. Irene accepted a job with the Visiting Nurse Service of St. Louis.

In the spring of 1949, John and Irene traveled to Denver, Colorado and after one month the company requested John to relocate permanently to Denver. Irene worked for the Visiting Nurse Service in Denver until becoming pregnant with their first child

Irene also volunteered some of their spare time to Cure’d Ars Catholic Church washing altar linens.

After moving to west Denver she became active in Notre Dame Catholic Parish. She was active in bible study, the blood pressure clinic, rosary making to name a few. She was a member of Notre Dame Catholic Church from 1963 to 2016 when she moved to Washington to live with her daughter.

Irene decided it was time to return to her career (1966) in nursing and took refresher courses to obtain her Nursing accreditation and worked part time at Porter Hospital in Denver with the nursing staff.

In 1967 Irene was employed by the Denver Public School System as a School Nurse. She retired from her nursing career in 1985.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John, parents and her siblings, Edna (Frank), Paul (Lida), Victor, Orville (Mildred), Wilbur, Lillian (Anthony) and Charles (Virginia).

She is survived by her children: James (Ann) Streit, John Streit, Charlotte (Richard) Balza, six grandchildren: Brooke (Tristan), Aaron Michael (Jin Bing), Tyler (Donna), Caron, Megan (Mike), Julie and seven great grandchildren: Abigail, Alexander, Aundrea, Cici, Roenick, Raelyn, and Amelia, and many nieces and nephews.

Our family wishes to thank Aegis of Redmond management and staff for their kind, gentle, loving care of our mother.

Visitation, 4pm-7pm, followed by Rosary at 7pm, Monday, March 2, 2020, Horan & McConaty Family Chapel, 3101 S.Wadsworth, Lakewood, Colorado 80227. Funeral Mass, 10am, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, Notre Dame Catholic Church, 2190 S. Sheridan Blvd, Denver, Colorado 80219. Interment will follow mass and reception at 2pm, Fort Logan National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers donations are suggested to the Irene Streit Memorial Fund. Please see further below to access donation website.

Rosary: March 2, 2020 7:00 pm

Horan & McConaty - SW Denver/Lakewood
3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd.
Lakewood, CO 80227

Funeral Mass: March 3, 2020 10:00 am

Notre Dame Catholic Church
2190 S. Sheridan Blvd
Denver, CO 80219

Graveside Service: March 3, 2020 2:00 pm

Fort Logan National Cemetery
3698 South Sheridan Boulevard
Denver, CO 80236
(303) 761-0117
https://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/ftlogan.asp