Irene E. Remus

Onalaska – Irene (Koss) Remus, 97 years young, of Onalaska, died on Sunday, March 19, 2017.

Irene was born November 4, 1919, to Fred and Emma (Worthman) Koss.  She was raised on the Koss farm on Sand Lake Road.  As a youngster, she enjoyed the farm, along with her siblings.  As a teenager during the 1930’s she lived through hard times, which instilled a great appreciation for her faith and her family.

She married Richard “Dick” Remus, in June 1940, in the Parsonage of the Lutheran Church in Blair.  He preceded her in death on January 14, 2013.  During the early years of marriage, they often lived out of camper, near the area were Dick was working with a logging crew, at his job as a skidder. During WWII, Irene worked at the Auto-Lite “the Gage”, which produced instrument gauges for the military.

In 1958, they welcomed their son Roger into the world, and built a house in Onalaska.  Irene enjoyed being a full-time wife and mother, embracing her at-home lifestyle, cooking and baking.  In their years after retirement, Irene and Dick spent time traveling to visit with their many relatives and friends, playing cards, and watching the parades where her brothers would drive wagons with teams of horses.

Irene is survived by one son, Roger, and his wife Lisa (Wurzel).  She is further survived by one sister, Ruth (the late Sylvan) Mahlum of Onalaska; and sister-in-law Marcella (the late Bob) Koss of Mindoro.   She is also survived by her many nieces and nephews.

Preceding her in death were her parents, four brothers, Wendell (Delores) Koss, William (Ester) Koss, Howard (Lorraine) Koss, Robert (Marcella) Koss; and two sisters, Dorothy (John) Swanson and Marie (Jim) Holthaus.

A Funeral Service will be held at 11:00 AM, Thursday, March 23, 2017, at Trinity Lutheran Church, 1010 Sill St., La Crosse, WI. Rev. Erik Freig will officiate with burial to be held in the Onalaska City Cemetery. Visitation will be held from 10:00 AM until the time of services at church on Thursday.