Irene Ebel Ertell, of Lake Oswego, passed peacefully on July 8, 2021, at the age of 92. She was born in Freeport, Texas to Milton and Alma Ebel, and grew up in Port Sulphur, Louisiana as an only child.
Irene graduated from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, with a B.A. in journalism. After graduation, she was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Women's Army Corps (WAC) and served proudly at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
She married Charles Ertell, also an U.S. Army officer, in 1952, resigned her commission, and embarked on an adventure-filled life throughout the U.S. and Europe. Along the way, she earned her Master of Library Science from the University of Denver. She worked as a librarian for about 20 years, eventually becoming director of the Tigard, Oregon public library, which she retired from in the mid-1990s. After Charles passed in 2000, Irene continued to have many adventures and wrote several books.
Irene was preceded in death by her parents, husband, and daughter Karen Ertell. She is survived by daughter Robyn Dunlap, son Keith Ertell and daughter-in-law Kathy Ertell, granddaughters Holly Wisecup (Kurt) and Kelsy Dunlap (Joy), great-grandchildren Logan and Whitney Wisecup, and her beloved little dog, Bella.
The family would like to thank the staff of Mary's Woods retirement community for helping to make Irene's final years comfortable and enjoyable. A celebration of her life will be held at a later date. In lieu of flowers, we ask that you make a donation to any organization that rescues and re-homes small animals, or that helps children learn to read.
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