Iris McCracken Wetherholt

Iris Wetherholt passed away peacefully on June 3, 2023 after several years of congestive heart failure. She was born to Ernest and Lola Oberg in 1931 in Grand Rapids, Minnesota, and grew up in the nearby town of Cohasset in a small cabin on Bass Lake. In 1954, she married Rev. George McCracken of Northern Ireland with whom she had 4 children. She shared her wisdom, time and listening ear with many during her time as a minister’s wife. She also earned her LPN and worked in various nursing settings throughout her life including hospitals, doctor’s offices, and clinics.

In 1996, she married Thomas Wetherholt, and they spent 22 wonderful years together traveling extensively, working in their garden, and spending time with family until Tom’s passing in 2018.

Iris was a stunning beauty her entire life, and her smile lit up every room she entered. Throughout her life, she enjoyed swimming, drawing and painting, square-dancing, writing, walking and in her later years especially enjoyed walking by the Spokane River or sitting in the sun watching rabbits and listening to birds. In early 2023, she told her daughter she wanted to live long enough to smell the lilacs. One of her last excursions outdoors included smelling some lilac bushes around her residence. In her last days, her room was filled with many beautiful and aromatic flowers. The last bouquet she saw was a bouquet of irises (her namesake flower) brought from her niece Janet’s garden.

Iris is preceded in death by her husband Thomas Wetherholt, her younger siblings - Beverly, Lola, and Duane – and her favorite dog, Duffy. She is survived by 4 children, Charles (Moni) McCracken, Richard (Silvia) McCracken, Brenda McCracken (John Baumann), and Bradley (Melanie) McCracken and 2 stepchildren, Paul (Cathy) Wetherholt and Bickie (Earl) Ogden. She is also survived by 6 grandchildren, 4 great-grandchildren, her sister-in-Law Lynne Oberg, and many nephews and nieces all of whom she loved so much. And she will be missed by so many.

Iris’ family would like to extend their deepest appreciation to Horizon Hospice and Palliative Care of Spokane for their kind attention and compassion for Iris – way beyond what we could have imagined. We would also like to thank the staff at Orchard Crest Assisted Living for their love and care for Iris over the past many years.

A memorial service for Iris will take place at 2:00pm on June 17, 2023 at Opportunity Presbyterian Church in Spokane Valley. Additionally, a graveside service will take place in Cohasset, Minnesota in late August.

In lieu of flowers, please send memorial donations to either Union Gospel Mission of Spokane or to Spokane’s SNAP Energy Assistance Program.

Live streaming for Iris' Memorial Service at:

https://www.facebook.com/Opportunitypresbyterianchurch/

A recording will be available shortly after the service and won't require facebook to view:

http://www.opportunitypresbyterian.org/