Irene Kay Hilbert

June 17, 1944 - May 9, 2018

Irene Kay Hilbert, 73, of Spirit Lake passed away on May 9, 2018 at Lakes Regional Healthcare in Spirit Lake. A Celebration of Life will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday at the Schuchert-Lentz Funeral Home in Spirit Lake. Visitation will be held one hour prior to the service on Saturday at the funeral home. Burial will take place in the St. Patrick’s Catholic Church Cemetery in Estherville. Irene was born on June 17, 1944 in Livermore, IA to Joseph and Doris Fern (Marlas) Ehrhardt. She graduated from Twin Rivers High School in Bode, IA in 1962. She was united in marriage to Robert Hilbert on April 20, 1962 in Livermore, IA. The couple made their home in Superior, raising their three children there. Bob preceded her in death on January 13, 2009 in Sioux Falls, SD. She later moved to Spirit Lake to be closer to family. Irene worked for 10 years for Wadco Foods in Estherville, 25 years for Pure Fishing and retired from Cadre Teleservices in Terrill after 15 years. The most important thing in Irene’s life was first and foremost her grandchildren. She dedicated her time to them and had a special bond with them. She will be fondly remembered for kindness and truly being a selfless person always putting others first. Her coworkers enjoyed her many crock pots full of food she brought to them over the years. Irene was blessed with the gift of gab and no one was a stranger to her. Her family and friends will miss her cards filled with stickers. In her later years she enjoyed adult coloring and sharing her pictures with her family and friends. She is survived by her son Brian Hilbert of Independence, IA and his children Cory Hilbert and fiancée Lyda Kennicker and Matthew Hilbert; daughter Sonia (Bob) Erickson of Spirit Lake and their children Nicholas ad Micayla Erickson; sisters Beulah Taylor of Fort Dodge; Mary Vaudt of Algona, IA; Monica Elsen of Fort Dodge, IA; Celeste Jamieson of Phoenix, AZ; and Annette Crouse of Pella, IA and many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Bob, son Michael, siblings Ralph Ehrhardt, Wanda Mosely, Carolyn Weber, Paul Ehrhardt, Dick Ehrhardt, Barbara Hellickson