Irene Victoria Riskey

On Sunday, May 30, 2021, Irene Victoria Riskey, loving mother of three children, grandmother of eight and great-grandmother of 20, passed away at the age of 94.

Irene was born in Minto, North Dakota on August 25, 1926 to Frank and Katherine Riske.  She was the eleventh and last surviving of 13 children.  Her mother died from an illness when Irene was a young girl and Irene largely credited her much-loved brothers and sisters for her upbringing.  On June 4, 1946 she married Daniel Louis Riskey in St. Stanislaus Catholic Church Warsaw, North Dakota.  They raised three children, Carolyn, Dwight and Daniel.

An adventurous soul, she traveled to Southern California by train during WWII where she worked on an airplane manufacturing line and part-time in a bakery.  She often commented that she felt her job in the bakery contributed at least as much to the war effort as did her job making airplanes.  Dads and Moms of soldiers and sailors would ask her help in sending gift baskets to their beloved sons in Europe or the South Pacific.    She was proud of the small contribution she could make.

She returned to North Dakota just prior to the war’s end.  When Daniel was discharged from the Army Air Corps in 1945, they became engaged and married shortly thereafter.  Their first home was a partially built house in Grafton, North Dakota.

In 1950, Irene and Daniel began a new adventure.  They picked up stakes and moved to Southern California where they hoped to find better career opportunities.  Irene was a consummate homemaker and an enthusiastic gardener. She once won a town award for “yard of the year” and she couldn’t have been happier had it been a Pulitzer.   Her house was well known as a warm and friendly place, frequently serving hot coffee to neighbors, friends and relatives … and it was always spotless!  Her children inherited only the warm and friendly qualities from their mom.

Irene’s other great passion was dancing.  She was a master of almost all genres and she seemed at her very happiest when twirling in her husband’s arms on the ballroom floor.

Throughout her life she nourished strong relationships with her brothers and sisters, half of whom lived in North Dakota and half who lived in California.  Picnics, game nights (usually involving raucous games of penny-ante poker) and car vacations were often joined by brothers, sisters, in-laws and myriads of cousins.  Her family was always the center of her life.  Later in life, she and Daniel retired to Carson City, Nevada.  She loved the weather and beautiful views, and gardening there was an even more compelling joy.  She delighted in the wide assortment of wildlife that would frequent her backyard.  Several of her sisters and their husbands also retired to Carson City.

Irene was preceded in death by her husband, Daniel; daughter, Carolyn and great-grandson, Cooper.

She is survived by her two sons Dwight and Danny; 8 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.  An amazing family, just as she had wanted.

A Rosary will be recited beginning at 2:30pm on Thursday, June 17, 2021 at Our Lady of Angels Catholic Church, 1914 Ridgeview Drive, Allen, Texas  75013.  The Mass of Christian Burial will begin at 3:00pm.