Irene M. Graham

She was born December 16, 1923, to Andre Joseph and Lumina (LaViolette) Gagne in their home on the west side of Proctor. She attended Proctor schools, both St. Rose Elementary and Proctor High School, as a member of the class of 1941. She later studied both at The College of St. Scholastica and at St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisc.

Irene married John G. Graham at St. Rose Catholic Church in Proctor on June 4, 1949, where she was also baptized, confirmed and received her first communion. She was a lifelong member of St. Rose where she was active in many groups and ministries; including the Lady Foresters, the Legion of Mary, and the Confraternity of Christian Mothers in which she took a turn in leadership roles. She served on the parish liturgy commission and oversaw the seasonal decoration of the church for more than 30 years. She long attended daily Mass there with companions who had been her friends since grade school. She was the oldest member of that parish.

After raising her children, she worked as a paraprofessional and tutor at the former Duluth Cathedral High School and the former Lincoln School.

She was preceded in death by her parents in 1965 and 1991; her husband in 1990; her brother, Rene’ who was killed in WWII and is buried on the island of Luzon in the Philippines; her sister, Patricia died in infancy and her brother, Robert who died in 2012.

Irene is survived by her children, The Rev. William Graham of Duluth, Sherry Graham of Plymouth, Luanne (Paul Javorina) Graham of Duluth, Gloria (Jack Monchamp) Graham of Duluth and Julie (Clark) Averill of Proctor; granddaughters, Emily (Paul Dugan) Wall of Minnetonka, Lynnae Javorina of Waterloo, Iowa and Colleen Javorina of Duluth; grandson, Michael Monchamp of Duluth. Emily’s three sons, Irene’s great-grandsons are Brandon Dyke, Alex, and Jacob Wall; Lynnae’s son is Aubrey. Her siblings are Alfred (Joyce) Gagne of Proctor, Sister Melanie Gagne, OSB of Duluth, Mary (Francis) Jaeb of Plymouth and the Rev. Ronald of Cotton.

Gloria was her mother’s exceptional care-giver and companion for the last year.

In 1995 while visiting New York City, she received a ticket to an audience with Pope John Paul II at St. Patrick’s Cathedral where she was mistaken for an Archdiocesan dignitary by the Vatican photographer who later sent two photographs of her with the Pope.

Her body will be received at St. Rose Church in Proctor at 5:00pm with the Wake to follow until 7:00pm on Thursday, June 26th; the family Rosary will be led by Joyce and Red Gagne shortly after 5pm, with time for visiting until evening prayer at 7pm. There will be a visitation Friday morning from 10am until the Mass of Christian Burial at 11 am on Friday, June 27th, also at St. Rose Church. The choir will be composed of concelebrating priests. Burial will follow in Oneota Cemetery. To leave a memory of Irene or words of support for the family, please visit www.bellbrothersfuneralhome.com