Irene R. Adam, 73, of Augusta, passed away in hospice care at River Pines Nursing Facility in Altoona on Tuesday evening, November 6, 2018.
Irene Ruth Adam, daughter of Ira and Ruth (Erdman) Zank was born March 22, 1945 and raised in Bridge Creek Township, rural Augusta. She was baptized and confirmed at Grace Lutheran Church in Augusta, attended Augusta Elementary School and graduated from Augusta High School in 1963. Following graduating she attended nursing training at Luther Hospital in Eau Claire. On Feb. 25, 1967, Irene was united in marriage to Edward Russell Adam at Grace Lutheran Church in Augusta, with Pastor E.G. Schedler officiating. The couple lived in Beaver Dam, Fox Lake, Eau Claire, and Rochester, before moving to Augusta in 1972. Irene had worked as a Registered Nurse at both Sacred Heart and Luther Hospital in Eau Claire, working on both the floor and in the emergency room. When she fully retired from the medical field in 2000, she was working as medical transcriptionist for the Mayo System. With her husband she also farm and together they owned and operated Adam’s Garden from 1978 until 1985 in Augusta.
All throughout her life she always enjoyed working with plants, be it house plants, in her vegetable gardens or flower gardens. Before her husband passed away on Aug. 1, 2008, the couple had traveled to California, and through the People to People Program to South Africa, Jordan and Peru. She had also enjoyed traveling to the south western states and into the Florida area. Irene had a tremendous faith and enjoyed her involvement with the Grace Lutheran Church Council, attending district meetings and participating in various bible studies. Irene was an avid reader and book club member and was even a non paid book reviewer for the Book of the Month Club thru Kindle.
Irene will be dearly missed by her 2 daughters, Laura and Gustavo Bredee of Ellsworth, Heidi and Tim Nerud of Fairhaven, MN; 3 granddaughters, Sarah, Nicole and Katrina Nerud; brother, Dean and Beverly Zank of Thorp; aunt Gail Bremel of St. Cloud, MN: nieces and nephews, Bernita (Dave) Korte, Ruth (Daniel) Biemann, Mark (Teresa) Zank, Jon Adam, Ronald Adam, and Edward Adam; other relatives and friends. She was also preceded in death by her father on Dec. 2, 1994; her mother on Oct. 8, 2013. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, Nov. 13, 2018, at 11:00 a.m. at Grace Lutheran Church in Augusta, with Pastor Jonathan Wessel officiating. Burial will be in the West Lawn Cemetery in Augusta.
A visitation will be held Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at Anderson Funeral Home in Augusta, and one hour prior to services Tuesday at the church.
Online condolences can be left at www.andersonfhaugusta.com