Obituary: Kemis, Irene Joyce

Age 91

Wed., March 18, 2015

KEMIS, Irene Joyce (Age 91) Surrounded by many loved ones in Spokane, WA, Irene departed to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 10, 2015.

Irene was born on July 5, 1923 in Milaca, MN to Howard and Ethel Kemis.

Farm living and a country school were her life until she was 14, at which time the family moved to Fargo, ND.

Irene graduated from Central High School and later attended Fargo Business College and Bethel Bible School.

Irene was sweet, loving, gracious, intelligent, and had a wonderful sense of humor.

She was a faithful pray-er and had a great knowledge of the Bible.

Irene applied those character qualities throughout her life as she served and worked in secretarial and administrative positions.

She worked with The Navigators in Washington DC (helping the Billy Graham Crusade), California, Germany, and Colorado.

During the 60’s Irene served with Inter-Varsity Christian Fellowship as the executive secretary to the Missions Department.

Irene spent most of the 70s in Denver, CO working for CA Norgen Co, and then in 1979 moved to Spokane where she worked for Fourth Memorial Church and Faith Bible Church, retiring in 1993.

In 1998 Irene moved to Lilac Plaza where she blessed the community with her gentle spirit and love of the Lord.

Irene loved studying the Bible, and was an active member of her Growth Group at Faith Bible Church.

Irene is survived by her brothers Wesley Kemis (Luck, WI) and Lyle (Marie) Kemis (Westminster, CO) and sister Helen (Jim) Campbell (Spokane, WA) as well as six nieces and nephews, and many grand and great-grand nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 pm March 23, 2015 at Faith Bible Church, 600 West Cora Ave.

Donations may be made in memory of Irene Kemis to Wycliffe Bible Translators (PO Box 628200, Orlando FL 32862-8200) or Union Gospel Mission (PO Box 4066, Spokane, WA 99220).

Read Irene’s complete obituary at www.heritagefunerals.com

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.