Obituary of IRENE SWETZ

IRENE SWETZ (NEE ZUSCHTOK) Peacefully, Irene Mary Swetz, beloved mother and sister, passed away at 11:24p.m, Thursday December 13th , at the Desalabary District Health Centre in St.Pierre, Manitoba. She leaves behind her daughter Corinna and her brothers Tony ( Karen ) and Peter. She was predeceased by her beloved husband Alan. Irene was born on the Sunday of February 21st, 1954. She married Alan Paul Swetz on September 13th, 1975. Irene worked many joyful years as an activity worker for the elderly in nursing homes. She always made the residents feel at home. Her little girl ,Corinna, was born on September 24th 1991. Motherhood became her main occupation. Irene was the family chef, cooking up a storm in her cozy kitchen. She created dozens of delicious Christmas cookies, cabbage rolls, paska, soup and many other amazing things. She never let people go home after a visit without taking with them a life-supply of provisions. She loved to sing with her daughter. She'd beg her to pull out her trusty guitar. Corinna never found a better singing partner. No matter how tough things were, she always insisted on giving . Nothing was too expensive if it was for someone else. Mom was devoted to Our Lady of the Roses, Mary Help of Mothers. She enjoyed watching her daughter walk up and down their long driveway with her Rosary beads in hand. Our Lady led Irene to Jesus, where she found the strength to carry her heavy crosses. Irene looked forward to receiving Holy Communion while hospitalized. In May of 2011, Mom was diagnosed with cancer. It never held down her strong spirit. She would just finish a round of chemo and she was wheeling herself around Value Village and hopping into the car for trips to Lockport, Henderson Highway and Selkirk, or her and her daughter would stop and pray a Rosary at her parents' gravesite. When Corinna was a toddler, Irene and Alan harvested an acre's-worth of crops; everything from pickling cucumbers and giant tomatoes to rows of corn and the famous five-foot sunflowers that Corinna had to look up to. During Irene's final summer, she planted many pots of vegetables and picked up a large variety of decorative flowers which turned her yard into a tourist attraction. We almost ended up on the map! A great, big 'thank you' to all of the staff who assisted Irene and her family during her hospital stay. Special thanks to Father Antoine Van Hoa, Claire, Ruby, Pauline, Judy and Heather. Viewing will take place on Tuesday December 18th at 9:30 A.M at Notre-Dame-De-Lorette Roman Catholic Church in Lorette. Funeral Mass begins at 10:00 A.M, followed by burial at the Catholic cemetery in Ile Des Chenes.