Irene L. Kaukola, age 90, of 3290 West Maple Ridge 37th Road; Rock, died Thursday, August 16th, 2007 at the Bishop Noa Home in Escanaba where she was a patient since December of 2005.

The eldest of four daughters, Irene was born August 22nd, 1916 in Chicago to Anthony and Catherine  Zmyslony. She graduated from T. Roosevelt High School, went to work as a cost accountant for the State of Illinois, and attended evening classes to obtain 1.5 years of college credit.

Patriotism ran high during World War II and she entered the US Navy as a WAVE in the Navy Corps in 1943. Duty in the Navy took her to Hunter College for boot training, to Hospital Corps in Bainbridge, MD.; Brooklyn, New York; Memphis, TN.; and Hawaii before her discharge in 1945. Irene served as a hospital corpsman and as a hospital accounting technician and also acquired 11 more college credits while serving her country.

After returning to Chicago, she graduated from Chicago Wright City two year college in June 1946, majoring in business administration, and later switching to biological sciences. She received a scholarship to Rosary College to major in zoology, but instead, she married Vilho I. Kaukola June 27th, 1946, 10 days after her graduation from “Wright”.

She met Vilho in 1942 while he was stationed in Chicago with the U.S. Air Force, and she was teaching square and folk dancing at the Chicago Park District’s Servicemen’s Center.
The newlyweds returned to Vilho’s native Rock, bought a farm in West Rock, Ewing Township, and became dairy farmers. Vilho died December 21st, 1989.

Irene  Kaukola began teaching science, biology, and choral music for elementary school and high school chorus at the Rock School System. After a period of time raising her children, she continued her dream for a college degree. After hearing Dr. Richard Rhinehart, then Bay College President, in 1963, she began her studies at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

While attending NMU, Irene taught kindergarten at Perkins in 1963-64, and Turin from 1964-66. Turin annexed to Rock, so she went to teach at Skandia from 1966-1969. Her efforts paid off when she received her B.S. Degree in Education from NMU in June 1969 at the age of 53, 36 years since her high school graduation and seven children later.

Irene began teaching at the Rock School again in the fall of 1969 and continued on the Mid-Peninsula School faculty after the Rock-Perkins consolidation in 1977. She again returned to Northern Michigan University to complete the clinical practice at reading clinics to qualify in the specialty of remedial reading and eventually received her Masters Degree from NMU.

Through-out  her life Irene was involved in community and civic affairs. She was active in the Girls Scouts in Chicago, Memphis, and Rock over 23 years, being a girl scout as well as a leader. While in Chicago, she was a delegate to the N.E. Section of Chicago Catholic Action; was active in the American Red Cross (Volunteer nurse’s aid at Illinois Research Hospital and Presbyterian Hospital); worked with the British War Relief in 1942-43 and later in Rock; active in 4-H; taught religious classes for almost 20 years; and is a member of the Rock American Legion Post #559 and its Auxiliary Unit, serving as president in the 1960’s. She is also a charter member of the Hiawatha Shores WAVES National Unit #137 of the UP. In addition, Irene was an active member of MARSP where she was secretary a number of years and was a faithful, active, and long-time member of St. Joseph Church in Perkins as a CCD teacher, lector, and the Ladies Church Guild.

As hobbies and past-times, Irene enjoyed visiting with family and friends, gardening, playing the piano and organ, sewing, and making jewelry and ceramics.

Irene L. Kaukola’s survivors include:

3 Sons- William (Jane) Kaukola of Rock
             James (Joy) Kaukola of Little Lake
             Eugene (Joan) Kaukola of Marquette

4 Daughters-Mary Kay (Ken) Olkkonen of Calumet
                    Rita (John) Knoop of Durham, North Carolina
                    Eileen Kaukola of Escanaba
                    Regina (John) Hawkley-Kaukola of Seattle, Washington

1 Sister- Virginia Zmyslony of Chicago

11 grandchildren: Cathy, Carrie, Christie, Michael,
                             Johnny, Julianne, Mary, Jimmy,
                             Cianna, Bridget, and Hope

And by numerous and nieces and nephews.

Brother-in-law, Robert (Florence) Kaukola of Paw Paw, MI

Sister-in-law, Ruth (Gene) Holmquist of the Trenary area

In addition to her husband, Vilho, Irene was preceded in death by an infant son, Christopher, and by sisters, Adrienne Zmyslony and Florence Rex Covington. She was also preceded in death by many members of her husband’s family.

The family of Irene Kaukola will receive friends on Monday at St. Joseph Church in Perkins from 3:00 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. Military Rites will be conducted at 5:45 p.m. by the Rock American Legion. Mass of Christian Burial will follow at 6:00 p.m. Monday at St. Joseph Church in Perkins with Rev. Fr. Emmitt Norden and Rev. Fr. Ben Paris officiating. Luncheon will follow services in the St. Joseph Parish Hall. Burial will be in the Holy Cross Catholic Cemetery; Escanaba. The family respectfully requests memorials be directed to St. Joseph Church. Envelopes will be available at church or at the Skradski-Boyce Family Funeral Homes of Delta County who are assisting the Kaukola family.