Irene Darlene Stoppel

It was 1925. The twenties were roaring. Calvin Coolige was President, the Great Gatsby was published, and Mt. Rushmore was dedicated. On October 25, the number one song was Sweet Georgia Brown by the Ben Bernie Orchestra and Irene Keller was born.

Irene joined sisters Hilda, Minnie, Esther, Hannah, Lillian, and Helen and two bothers Fred and Sam as the ninth child of David and Marie Keller. Living on a small farm in Lucas, Kansas, they all managed to have a life of rewarding yet hard work and strong sense of family.

After high school, Irene moved to Denver, CO. She met and married Russell Walker and gave birth to their daughter Sandra Kay. After about two years, the relationship ended. In 1948, she married Adam Stoppel, also from Kansas. Together, they brought Patricia Adele and Melodee Sue into the world. They remained married for sixty-three years until Adam’s death in 2011.

As a young girl, Irene learned to sew and thus began her love of fashion. She worked at her beloved Denver Dry Goods for approximately thirty years. In the Women’s Clothes Department she stayed abreast of the latest fashions and helped others stay fashionable as well. “To be out of fashion is to be out of life” was a quote she repeated often.

Irene passed away on August 3, 2016 at the age of 90. Although she is now reunited with her cherished husband Adam, she will be missed by those who loved her so very much. She is survived by her three daughters Sandie, Patti and Melodee, her six grand-children Ray, Chris, Laura, Charlie, Nichol and Kelly, her 15 great-grandchildren, and 15 great-great-grandchildren.

Godspeed, Irene.