Irene
J. Newsom, age 84, died Sunday May 2, 2010 at home with her
family at her side.
Mass of Christian Burial will be
11:00 a.m. on Friday, May 7th, 2010 at St.
Joseph's Catholic Church in Friendship, WI. Father James P.
McNamee will officiate. Burial to follow at West Arkdale
Cemetery.
Visitation will be at St. Joseph's
Catholic Church on Thursday from 4:00-8:00 p.m., with prayer
service at 7:45 p.m. Friends may also call at the church on
Friday from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass.
Irene was born June 15, 1925 in
Chicago, Illinois. She was the 5th of seven children born to
Ben and Balbina (Popielacz) Mitchell. Her given birth name
was Erena Modesta Michalowski. Her family moved to Mauston,
Wisconsin when she was very young, and her parents operated
a tavern near Castle Rock where she attended school until
8th grade. At 16, she moved to Chicago and went to work at
various factories, one being a parachute/tent factory making
tents and parachutes for the armed services. She also
worked for the Sunbeam factory. She married Ellis Newsom on
Feb. 14, 1948. They lived in several states
including Illinois, Florida, and finally settled in
Wisconsin. They lived in Milwaukee, Colgate, and finally
the Adams-Friendship area became her final home. She
worked for Ore Ida for many years working the night shift.
She enjoyed her children,
grandchildren, and great grandchildren the most in her
life. She also enjoyed her animals, gardening, and Polish
music. She was a past secretary for the Adams County 4-H and
enjoyed the fair every year until her health prevented her
from attending. She traveled to southwest Kansas where she
stayed with her daughter for several months at a time the
past couple years and enjoyed the national grasslands, the
beautiful sunsets, the horses, dogs, ducks and having long
talks with her daughter.
She was preceded in death by her
parents, Ben and Balbina; brother, Chet; and sisters Jean
Nelson, Laura Jaskot, Genevieve Rinker, and Isabelle
Anderson.
Survivors:
Daughter: Ginny (David Batie) Olson of Hugoton, Kansas
Son: Benjamin Newsom of Nekoosa, Wisconsin
Daughter: Belinda Newsom of Adams, Wisconsin
Daughter: Kathy (Mike Izzo) Newsom of Arkdale, Wisconsin
12 grandchildren
7 great-grandchildren
Brother: Ted (Millie) Mitchell of Wisconsin Rapids,
Wisconsin
Further survived by many nieces and nephews.
