Irene E. Plainse

Irene Ernestine Graef was called to heaven on July 24, 2024. She was born April 28, 1926, in the town of Theresa, daughter of the late Otto and (Erna) Zimmermann Graef. Irene was married to her late husband, Ross Roy Plainse for 62 years. Irene and Ross had two sons, William (Maureen) Plainse of Orlando and Michael (Jolin) Plainse of Monterey, California. There are also seven grandchildren: Jamie, Cory, Joshua, Heather, Ross, Sydney, and Reagan. Irene was preceded in death by a sister: Elfriede (Ed) Eberle; and brothers Otto Graef and Richard Graef.

Irene grew up on a farm in the town of Franklin and graduated from West Milwaukee High School in 1944. She received “Daughters of the Revolution” award in her senior year. In the spring of 1949, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin – Whitewater with a B.S. in Education. Irene was also a life member of the Delta Zeta sorority. Her first teaching position was in the high school at Greendale, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee. On August 12, 1950, she married her husband Ross Plainse at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Franklin, Wisconsin.

In 1951 Ross and Irene moved to Duluth, Minnesota for a few months where Ross was employed as a Mining Engineer. Ross accepted a job with the Army Corps of Engineers in Milwaukee. There, Irene taught in the Milwaukee Public School system for the next four years. In January of 1956, the couple moved to Appleton where Ross was transferred to the Appleton Project Office, still managing the locks and dams for the Army Corps of Engineers. Irene became a homemaker and joined Faith Lutheran Church with her husband. She became active at church, teaching both Sunday School and Vacation Bible School for many years. The family later lived in Greenville where Irene became a den mother for Pack 77. She also started the Preschool Sunday School class at Shepherd of the Hills Lutheran Church in Greenville.

After returning to Appleton, Irene taught mid-week school at Faith for a few years and returned to teaching in the Appleton School System. Irene enjoyed working with young people, photography, traveling, and spending time with the family at the cottage near Lakewood. She was fortunate to have traveled in the United States. Europe, Israel, and Egypt. She had a great interest in genealogy and spent a great deal of time in her retirement writing histories of the both the Graef and Plainse families.

The Christian Funeral Service for Irene will be held at 12:00 Noon on Friday, August 30, 2024, at Faith Lutheran church, located at 601 E. Glendale Avenue in Appleton with Rev. Daniel Thews officiating. She will be placed at rest next to her beloved husband Ross at Riverside Cemetery in Appleton. Visitation will be held on Friday, August 30, directly at the church, from 10:00 AM until the time of the service.

The family would like to offer their sincere thanks to the wonderful caregivers at Eagle Point Assisted Living. Though only there a short while, you all became like family to her, and we will never forget your love and compassion.