Irene Lund

Irene Alice (Selken) Lund, 82, passed away on March 7, 2012 at the Sanford Hospice Cottage in Sioux Falls, SD after more than four years of battling cancer. Irene was born on September 22, 1929 to Chas. Henry Sr. and Goldia Adelia (Wilka) Selken at the farmhouse where they lived near Larchwood, Iowa. She was the 6th child of 8 born into that union. Brothers and sisters included Melvina, Veramae, Chuck, Viola, Louise, Melvin and Doris, with more to come later. When Irene was 5, her mother, Goldia, passed away and the young children were sent to live with different family members. They maintained close connections with their father and siblings at all times, as best they could without internet, cars, and phones. Irene and Louise lived with their Uncle Bill and Aunt Petra Selken near Watertown, SD until their father, Chas, remarried. Chas married Fern (Matthew) Green on April 30, 1937 and all the children returned to live with the family near Argonne, SD, except Doris who was adopted but always their sister. Fern?s three children, Elsie, Charles and Leroy Green joined the family. Four more of Irene?s brothers and sisters were born to Fern and Chas. H, Selken Sr., Raymond, Lucille, June and Ronald for a total of 15 children. Irene completed high school in Argonne, SD and moved with her sister, Louise, to Sioux Falls, SD in 1947. She was married to George Morris Lund on July 2, 1949 and they lived in an apartment in Hills, Minnesota. Upon moving to Sioux Falls in 1953, Irene worked at the Nickel Plate Caf. Later, she worked at Raven Industries, Ramada Inn and then Sioux Valley Hospital laundry department until her retirement in 2001. Irene was an avid bowler and attended many national bowling tournaments with her team-mates over the years. She also enjoyed watching the Minnesota Twins play baseball, playing with her grandchildren, playing pinochle with friends and family, sailboat rides on the Missouri River, frequent and large family gatherings and telling the stories about growing up with 14 siblings. Irene is survived by three sons, Clifford, Sioux Falls, Terry (Linda), Crosby, TX and Randy (Shirley), Sioux Falls; 7 grandchildren, Erin (Adam), Eric (Tena), Emilee (Will), Scott (Meghan), Keith (Audra), Jenae, Evan (Julie); 7 great grandchildren, Elizabeth, Anthony, Lila, Cora, Kayden, Sydney and Lane and numerous nieces and nephews; 8 siblings, Louise Lund, Sioux Falls, Elsie (Green) Collins, Rosamond, CA, Melvin (Arla), Dell Rapids, Raymond (Margrit), Mannheim, Germany, Lucille (Gene)Tooley, Sioux Falls, June (Richard) Smith, Poplar Grove, IL, and Ronald (Susan), Sioux Falls and Leroy (Armena, Sioux Falls. She was preceded in death by her parents, Goldia and Chas.H, and Fern; her husband, George in 1985, and siblings, Melvina, Veramae, Chuck, Viola, Doris and Charles.