Irene Virginia Engle

ELKHART — Irene Virginia Engle passed away Saturday, May 5, 2018, at Eastlake Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, at the age of 97.

She was born March 1, 1921, in Kendallville, the daughter of the late Martin and Julia (Busch) Bauman.

She married Glenn E. Engle in September of 1940 in Kendallville. Shortly after they married, they moved to Vancouver, Washington, to work in the shipyards building Liberty Ships, a mass produced World War II cargo ship nicknamed the “Ugly Duckling” by then president Franklin Roosevelt.

They moved back to Elkhart and she began a career, first with Whitehall, then Miles Laboratories, (Bayer) where she worked for 30 years.

Irene was especially gifted at making German recipe Christmas cookies and also had a talent for drawing.

She was a member of the Bristol United Methodist Church.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, husband Glenn in 1990,  brother Harold Bauman and a sister, Lela Haynes.

Surviving are her three children, Sue Menges of Bristol, Lynn Hisey of Warsaw and Larry Engle of San Antonio; seven grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren.

Memorial services for Irene V. Engle will be at 1 p.m. Friday, May 11, at Billings Funeral Home.

The Rev. Gary Lewis of Bristol United Methodist Church will officiate.

Friends may visit with the family one hour prior.

Private burial was in Oakridge Cemetery, Bristol.

Suggested memorials are to the Humane Society of Elkhart County.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Irene Virginia Engle, please visit our floral store.