Irene Wilcox

Irene Louise (Flinn) Wilcox, 96, was born April 23, 1926 to Raymond and Bessie (Keltner) Flinn in Commerce, Iowa. She passed away Sept. 8, 2022 at the Independence Village of Waukee with the loving care of Suncrest Hospice nurses and care-givers.

Irene attended Dallas County rural schools and Adel Public School. She married Clarence (Bill) Wilcox on April 25, 1943 in Adel. They were life-long business partners as they worked side by side at The Madrid Register-News office which they purchased Nov. 1, 1957. Bill passed away May 2, 1983. Irene retired in 1992 from the newspaper/printing office, but she continued to write “Notes from Irene” for the local newspaper. She received the 50-year journalism award from the Iowa Newspaper Association and the Distinguished Service Award “for outstanding contributions to the newspaper association” in 2014.

During her life Irene was a member of St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, American Legion Auxiliary, Chapter ID-P.E.O., Iowa Press Women, Sigma Delta Chi – Professional Journalist, and Madrid Library Board. She was also named Beta Sigma Phi’s Madrid’s First Lady of the Year, honored as Madrid’s Labor Day Parade Marshall, a member of Madrid Chamber, and a charter member of Swede Point Questers.

She was proceeded in death by her husband Bill; two granddaughters Terra Johnson and Amber Mordini; two brothers Alfred Keltner and Walt Flinn; and three sisters Polly Gubser, Marcy Emery, and Helen Kerr.

She is survived by one daughter Trish (Bill) Johnson of West Des Moines; and three sons Dennis (Carol) Wilcox of Madrid, Thomas (Diane) Wilcox of Spring Hill, Florida and Jeffrey (Maria) Wilcox of Seattle, WA; five grandchildren John (Judy) Wilcox, Brett (Kristine) Wilcox, Jennifer (Ken) Williams, Kyle (Kristen) Wilcox and Kristen (Tyler) Brown; eight great grandchildren Michael and Andrew Mordini, Zane and Eva Williams, Aidan and Abigail Wilcox, and Hunter and Brielle Brown; a sister Alice Hoffman of Perry; three sisters-in-law Carolyn Dalton of New York, Shirley Gibson of Arizona and Charlotte Dueland of Norwalk; along with a host of nieces and nephews who were all very special to their Aunt Irene.

Graveside services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 12 at Mt. Hope Cemetery in Madrid and it also livestreamed. Memorials may be given to the Madrid Historical Society.