Fitzgerald, Irene C.

 

Irene C. Fitzgerald (Frerichs) was born in August of 1924 to Henry and Mamie Frerichs. She joined big brothers, Bernard and Albert, and was later blessed with a younger sister, Catherine. Irene attended Our Lady Of Sorrows School for kindergarten; her family later moved into a home in Holy Family Parish, where she continued her education and graduated from eighth grade. She attended high school at Rosati-Kain, often riding the streetcar down Grand Avenue to and from school.

Irene worked at several places in her lifetime, including Anheuser Busch and Calvert Liquor. Later in life, she helped a friend, Del Lukasek, with her catering business.

Irene caught the eye of Martin (Marty) Fitzgerald when she dropped dry cleaning off at his neighborhood shop on Roger Place. Irene and Marty fell in love and married in August 1951. They lived above the cleaning shop and had their first child Maureen. They moved to a flat on Humphrey where their first son, Daniel was born at the end of June in 1954. Irene always said Dan looked like a plucked chicken when the temperature reached 115 in the flat in the middle of that July. Irene and Marty purchased their first home, a three bedroom home in Affton in March of 1955 for $13,000, where Irene and Marty added three more children to their family: Thomas, Kathleen, and Nancy, and where Irene lived all the days of her life until her last breath on January 14, 2022.

Irene and Marty were active parishioners in Seven Holy Founders parish. Irene played volleyball and would help with parish activities, including the parish picnic. She had several volunteer stints in the grade school health room over the years, in which she bartered with the other volunteer moms to deal with anything but vomit. She was a busy homemaker with five children, helping them with homework, cheering them on at all of their sports activities, and cooking all their meals, including the famously-thinly-breaded pork chops. She managed to feed her family on a shoestring budget and often saved dollars from each weekly Liberty shopping trip to keep her kids in new shoes and clothes, always claiming that she could make anything that the stores were offering. She took her children on bus trips down Hampton Ave. to Hampton Village to shop, because Irene did not learn to drive a car until she was around 44 years of age, in her little blue Nova, in 1968. She famously got lost a few times– she could have used GPS back in those days! Irene was an expert in helping her three girls with their homework from Cor Jesu Academy. Thank goodness for her hardcover blue dictionary and her patience in staying up late, typing papers. Her sons graduated from Affton High School, while her son Tom also received an education at South Technical High School, preparing him for future repairs of her lawnmower, kitchen faucets, washing machines, and everything else, over all the days of her life. Speaking of Days of her Lives, she loved her soap operas, her favorites were Edge of Night, Love is a Many Splendored Thing, Guiding Light, As the World Turns, and in her final years, The Bold and The Beautiful, which she watched until the very end. She departed still not knowing what was going to happen with Brooke and Ridge.

Except for Cuba, Irene never had the chance to travel internationally, but she did love to travel. She enjoyed many trips to the beach, including Hawaii and her favorite, Sanibel island (Thank you Marty and Brenda Harrity). Over the years, she would travel to different missions where her oldest daughter, Sister Maureen Fitzgerald, ASCJ was stationed. Her family was often packed into seatbelt-less cars and road-tripped for vacations, including a thousand-mile trip to the East Coast and a yearly trip to Black River Lodge. Once her children were grown, she enjoyed a cruise with Marty.

Irene was the most welcoming grandmother to her nine grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Her grandchildren came in pairs: Katie was born to her oldest son Dan and his wife Betsy in 1983, followed 6 weeks later by her first grandson, Michael, the son of Tom and Diane. Andrew soon followed in 1986 as Katie’s little brother, and then Stacy was born 8 weeks later to Michael’s delight. Her daughter Kathy and husband Tom (Krapu) brought Daniel into the world in 1996, and three months later, Samantha entered the world of Nancy and her husband Jim (Gilstrap). Sam was a big sister to Molly in 13 short months, and Kathy welcomed Benjamin two months later. It wasn’t until Mia entered the world nine years later on big sister Sam’s birthday that Irene got a whole year with just one baby to cuddle. She and Marty loved entertaining their grandkids and partaking in all the parties, dance recitals, and sporting events.

And then came more babies later in life. She welcomed her first great grandson (Jordan Michael) in 2013, and in 2021, she was able to bounce baby Medin on her 96-year-old knees. Both her great grandsons brought so much joy to her life, even in her final days. They were the spark that would light her eyes. If Grandma couldn’t have a baby on her lap, then a dog or a cat was a welcome placeholder– she loved those fur babies. She was a foster grandparent to three kittens the last four months of her life, and on her dying bed, she was calmed and soothed by a 6-month-old kitten named Bean.

Sadly, in April 2001, Irene became a widow. It didn’t stop her. She began again. She joined a widows group, and her life was filled with Round Town Tours, Red Hats, new friends, and travel with family. Her last big trip was a road trip to Gulf Shores, Alabama, with her son Tom, daughter Kathy, and grandson Ben. The condo was her perfect set up: pool, sand, and the beautiful sea for viewing at any time of day. She loved that trip and spoke about it in her final days, even remarking how her son managed to get the tent that flew down the beach back into the cardboard box. That trip was filled with so much laughter.

These are the highlights, the pieces of a 97-year-old life. But in between these dates and events, lies so much more.

Irene, better known as “Grandma,” even to her children, was a force of nature, the strongest woman we ever knew. She was a faith-filled, funny, human being. She would always be cracking jokes and was quick witted even in the final days. When you asked her if she needed something to drink as you lifted the cup of water, she would say, “whiskey.” She made nurses laugh and fall in love with her. She was the best patient.

The pandemic and her children’s concern over a 95-year-old woman’s declining driving skills robbed her of much of her independence. In June of 2020, she took on a roommate, her daughter Kathy. As Irene’s breathing continued to deteriorate, no thanks to 60 years of smoking (she quit in 2000 and would advise anyone to never smoke), she was tethered by an oxygen cord. Her last 18 months of her life found her putting puzzles together with her favorite puzzle mate, Keith, remembering what the TV line up was any day of the week, and watching her favorite shows. Bull. No, really! That was one of her favorite shows, not to mention the Chicago line-up on Wednesday nights. She could easily be convinced into getting into the car with Kathy to drive to no destination or to do a porch pick-up. That became a pretty regular thing. Kathy would find items on Marketplace that of course were needed, but it more so provided a reason to leave the little house on the cul de sac and venture out into the world. The new car Irene bought at 96 provided a smooth ride up and down streets she didn’t know existed. There were excursions involving leaf and Christmas light viewing and home inspecting/critiquing. She even enjoyed a three-hour holiday light tour the week of Christmas week this last year with her dear friend Marilyn and their chauffeur Kathy. She was able to watch her son transform a house across the cul de sac from hers for her grandson and his family. She died knowing that Michael and Abbi and their son Jordan could hear the whistle of the train blowing and barreling its way down the tracks. Luckily, their house did not rattle and shake as much as her 70-year-old homestead.

Although Irene was 97 years old, the end of her life in this last week was unexpected. An ambulance ride to Mercy Hospital on January 5^th began the unraveling of this life well lived. Pneumonia in her left lung and a fluid pocket added to the chronic lung infection she carried with her for years. It was Saturday night when she struggled so hard to catch a breath to find some way to fill those tired and sticky lungs that she and her family made the sad surrender to COPD and congestive heart failure and began any form of comfort measures that would ease her into her everlasting, easy, breath-of-heaven life. On Monday afternoon, she was wrapped up like a little burrito and transported back to her home on that little cul de sac in Affton. Her family never left her side. There were four days of a camp out, a vigil, and a living wake. It was precious and filled with so many moments that created so many wonderful memories that will carry her children and grandchildren through the rest of their lives. Irene lived those last few days like she lived all of her days: with grace, faith, love, and compassion for her family and her friends. She had visitors from extended family, friends, doctors, religious leaders, her children’s friends, and her hospice team. Her visits included those from heaven, too! She had a great walk with her husband, a visit with her mom, and even Mother Clelia. She would leave her body from time to time– one foot in heaven, and one there in her little bedroom. Her inner processing prepared her for her final hours. Five hours before her final breath, after her family prayed the rosary around her bed, she hugged each of her children and told them she loved them. She listened to the playlist of music her daughter created: the melodies and words were the thread that wove her last days together. After the hugs from her children, it is thought that her spirit was moving, swirling about the room, surrounding and embracing those that wept and held that frail and physical body. The last breath came at 3:33 a.m. That body that brought five wonderful children into the world and that had lost three in trying was no longer needed. The official proclamation of death happened at 4:14 a.m., and that 97-year-old body left the cul de sac to the sound of an approaching train, the still of the night broken by the honking of the horn that truly sounded like the blaring of trumpets, welcoming her into the heavenly party through the golden gates. Unsurprisingly, the sun rose at 7:19 a.m. that morning with a most beautiful red hue spilling over the sky, brilliant in its own glory.

She will always be celebrated, but her family will bring those who so desire to visit and reminisce on a life well lived by a good and faithful servant this week. They will be accepting visitors at Seven Holy Founders on Tuesday, January 18, from 4:00-7:00 p.m. and will celebrate the Holy Mass with her on Wednesday, January 19, at 9:00 a.m. at Seven Holy Founders. Her procession will lead her to Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery, where her body will rest next to her sweet Marty, who met her at the gates of heaven with a warm embrace. The funeral Mass will also be live-streamed on Wednesday morning beginning at 8:55am.  It will be available for a few days. If you can not meet us physically in Church please join us virtually. https://youtube.com/channel/UC3FGcS1JA2qsQi8nvLnObCQ

As Marty already showered her with roses in heaven, please do not send flowers here on earth. Make a difference by making a donation to the Apostles of the Sacred Heart Ireland Missions. Why this mission? Irene was married to an Irish man born of Irish immigrants. Marty visited Ireland during World War II, where he was greeted with such joy by the people of Ireland and his Irish cousins. In 2003, Irene and Marty’s oldest son (Dan) escaped near death in Ireland but was miraculously healed with the excellent care he received in a Dublin Hospital. Dan and his family traveled to Ireland many more times, connecting with their family and roots in the old country. Dan’s daughter, Katie married the love of her life, Lance, in a small village church in Adare, Ireland in 2012. The Apostles of The Sacred Heart of Jesus, an Order in which Marty and Irene’s oldest daughter, Maureen, serves, began a mission in Waterford, Ireland, in 2016. They continue to spread the love of the heart of Jesus to the Irish people. In the name of Irene Fitzgerald, please help them continue this mission by sending donations to the following address:
Mount Sacred Heart
In Care of: Fitzgerald Ireland Donation
295 Benham Street
Hamden, CT 06514

Fitzgerald, Irene C. (Frerichs), 97, baptized into the hope of Christ’s Resurrection, Fri., Jan. 14, 2022, surrounded by her loving family in her home. Preceded in death by her husband, Martin Fitzgerald; Survived by her children, Sr. Maureen, ASCJ, Dan (Betsy), Tom (Diane), Kathy, Nancy Gilstrap (Jim); grandchildren, Katie Gettinger (Lance), Andrew, Stacy, Michael (Abbi), Daniel and Ben Krapu (Lucy); Samantha, Molly and Mia Gilstrap; and 2 great-grand- children, Jordan and Medin.

 Visitation: Tues., Jan. 18, 4-7 p.m., at Seven Holy Founders Church. Funeral Mass: Wed., Jan. 19, 9 a.m., Seven Holy Founders Church; burial at Jefferson Barracks. In lieu of flowers, donations to Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Ireland Missions. For more about Irene, please visit Kutis website.