Irene Miles Holden

MILACA, MN- Irene Nygaard Miles Holden, 92 of Milaca and formally of Webster died on Monday, August 4, 2008 at North Memorial Hospital in Minneapolis. Her funeral will be at 10:30 A.M. Saturday, August 9, 2008 at the United Methodist Church in Webster, Rev. John Hisel officiating. Burial will be at Hillside Cemetery, Langford. Visitation will be at Fiksdal Funeral Service in Webster on Friday 4-7 P.M. and prior to services on Saturday. Irene Hazel Nygaard was born on April 29, 1916 to Isaac and Henrietta (Nilson) Nygaard on a farm by Skudesnes Lutheran Church in Lynn Township, Day County, South Dakota. She attended grade school at Lynn Township School #151. During her high school years she moved to Pierpont and lived with her aunt and uncle, Emil and Caroline Loe so she could attend high school. She worked for her room and board while living with the Loe’s. She graduated from Pierpont High School in 1934. After high school she did house work for two years then attend Bobette Beauty School in Aberdeen. Upon graduating from Bobette she moved to Fargo, took her state board certification in Cosmetology and then started her career in Rockford, North Dakota. After awhile she returned to Pierpont where she opened her own beauty shop. On May 2, 1942 she married the first love of her life, Quentin (Kenny) Miles at Bergen Lutheran Church parsonage in Pierpont, South Dakota. Kenny and Irene lived in Langford where she had her own beauty shop in her home. In 1961 they moved Milaca, Minnesota where she worked for the Fingerhut Corporation in Princeton, Minnesota and they attended the Milaca United Methodist Church. Irene and Kenny lived there until his death in January 1972. After his death she moved to Webster where she worked for the Langford School as a cook and also at the nursing home in Britton. She married the second love of her life, Edmund “Shorty” Holden on April 22, 1977. They resided in Webster until Shorty’s death in May 2002, after which she returned to Milaca to live. She lived in her own apartment until November 2007, at which point, she moved into assisted living at Heritage House in Milaca. She passed into God’s loving and tender arms on August 4, 2008 at 11:30 A.M. at North Memorial Hospital surrounded by her loving family. She is survived by her children, Quentin (Carol) Miles of Gettysberg, SD; Myla (Don) Tolmie of Milaca, MN; two step-sons, Lee (Nancy) Holden of North Dakota and James Holden of Webster, SD; Step-daughters, Faye (Bob) Prince of Gresham, OR and Marnee (Ron) Holden-McConnell of Watertown, SD; ten grandsons, Jay and Curt Wilson, Shane Miles, Ryan Holden, Waylon and Todd McConnell, Eric and Brock Prince and Rocky and Shayne Shilhanek, two granddaughters, Amy Boulette and Lisa Hamilton; five great granddaughters, Emma, Julie, Elle, Aubrey and Katrina; four great grandsons, Jack, Drew, Denny and Seth; and one sister, Eunice Draeger of Milwaukee, WI; numerious nieces, nephews, family and friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands, Kenny and Shorty, sisters and brothers,