Irene Harren

Irene A. Harren, age 88 of Freeport, passed away peacefully, surrounded by her family on Thursday, October 21, 2021 at her home in Freeport, Minnesota.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, October 28 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Freeport with Rev. Dan Walz officiating. Interment will be held in the parish cemetery.

There will be no public visitation prior to the Mass.

A beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, daughter, aunt, cousin, friend and colleague, Irene was born on May 4, 1933 in Elrosa, Minnesota to Bernard and Anna (Boecker) Herickhoff, the second of eleven children. Irene grew up in rural Elrosa on her parent's farm. After graduation from Belgrade High School in 1950, Irene worked for an exclusive men's clothing store as a bookkeeper in Sauk Centre and Moorhead, Minnesota. Irene and Ed were married on July 5, 1955 at Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church in Elrosa. She was employed as a billing and payment clerk for Otter Tail Power Company in Morris. When the family began to arrive, she became a stay home mother.

In 1964, the couple moved to Ed's family farm at rural Freeport where she became bookkeeper for the farm accounts. She was a member of the Christian Mothers of the St. Francis parish, rural Freeport, and served as treasurer. She taught Faith Formation for about 30 years, both in the parish setting and for her grandchildren in their homes. She raised a garden every summer, did a lot of canning, sewing, mending, and did sewing alterations of bridal gowns and bridesmaid's dresses. She also belonged to the St. Mary's neighborhood quilting group.  She raised her seven children to appreciate the farm and their faith. She and Ed traveled to many states throughout the United States, but her favorite trips were the ten trips they made to Germany to visit with her German relatives. In her retirement, she did research on and compiled family tree books for the Herickhoff and Boecker families as well as the Harren and Rausch families and helped with the Gerads family. She loved knowing the heritage of these families and passed this on to other family members.

Survivors include her husband, Ed Harren of Freeport; children, Juleen (Ray) Scegura of Holdingford, John (Lois) Harren of Freeport, Barry (Colleen) Harren of Freeport, Gregg (Nancy) Harren of Eagle Bend, David (Kathy) Harren of Eagle Bend, Michael (Shelly) Harren of Holdingford, and James (Cheryl) Harren of Freeport; 23 grandchildren and 38 great-grandchildren; siblings, Marlene Herickhoff, Rita Walz, Dr. Bob (Pam) Herickhoff, Charles Herickhoff, James (Ruth) Herickhoff, Norma (Joe) Moening, Marie (Ken) Bezdicek, Mark (Donna) Herickhoff, Bernie (Linda) Herickhoff, Henry (Vicky) Herickhoff, Regina Hoeschen, Rita Schiller, Conrad Harren, and Eugene (Connie) Harren.

Irene was preceded in death by her son, Bruce Harren; granddaughter, Mary; parents, Ben and Anna Herickhoff; in-laws, John and Elizabeth Harren, siblings, Harold and Lawrence Herickhoff, Harold Walz, Alfons & Lizzy Plate, Maggie (Harren Kraemer) Faber, Arnie Hoeschen, Harlan Schiller, Jeanette (Harren) and Sylvester Stueve, Larry and Betty Harren, and Carol Harren.