Wayne M. Irons

Funeral services for Wayne M. Irons, 92, of Walcott, IA will be held at 6:00 p.m. on Friday at the Cunnick-Collins Mortuary chapel in Davenport. The family will greet friends from 4:00 p.m. until service time at the mortuary. Private family burial will be held in Gethsemane Cemetery in Lansing, IA. Mr. Irons passed away on Monday, February 20, 2017 at the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House in Bettendorf. Wayne M. Irons was born on May 13, 1924 in New Albin, IA, to Earnest and Ruth (Thompson) Irons, one of 14 children in the family. Along with working at Cloverleaf Store in New Albin as a boy, he and his brothers helped their grandfather with farming operations, at a lumber mill and at local farms. Wayne was an avid baseball player (catcher) in school and later on town teams. In 1943, Wayne was inducted into service in the first 18 year old draft of World War II. He served in the Army Air Corps. After basic training and tech school in Texas, he was shipped to the Pacific where he was involved in the invasion of Saipan. He was eventually transferred back to Hawaii and stationed at Hickam Field until the war ended in 1945. He was discharged on December 17, 1945. When Wayne returned back to Iowa, he went to where his folks lived in Lansing, IA. He was still in uniform when he went Christmas shopping at Krieger’s Variety Store, where he caught the eye of the clerk, Mary Jane Bailey. One thing led to another and on February 4, 1947 they were married. Six boys resulted from that union. In 1950, Wayne and Mary Jane moved to Davenport, where Wayne worked at a dairy. He worked for the dairy until it folded, then got a job at Farmall in Rock Island. He worked the line assembling tractors until his retirement. He and Mary Jane traveled and Wayne followed his Cubs. One of his great joys was to see the Cubs finally win a World Series in his lifetime. He is survived by six Sons: Steve (Betty) of Boone, IA, James (Peggy) of Springfield, OH, Thomas (Joy) of Blue Grass, IA, Richard (Cindy) of Davenport, David (Cherie) of Parkview, IA, Daniel (Lori) of Wapello, IA; four Sisters: Karen, Laura, Beverly, Barbara; 13 Grandchildren and 12 Great-Grandchildren. In addition to his parents, he was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Jane, on June 17, 2011; five brothers and four sisters. Memorials may be directed to the Clarissa C. Cook Hospice House or to Courtyard Estates of Walcott.