Irene Christmann

On June 7th, 2020, our dear wife, mother, Oma, and friend, Irene Christmann, lost her fierce battle with a rare form of bile duct cancer known as intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma. Her positivity radiated throughout her life and she spread hugs with everyone she came in contact with.

Irene loved to tell stories about her time in Germany before her immigration in 1959.  She was determined to give her family a great life when she arrived in America, which speaks volumes of how she valued family. Though others doubted them, Irene and her husband, Werner, knew they were meant for each other and tied the knot shortly after meeting in America. Her life was full of adventures; she loved camping trips, she owned her own business, she raised 3 wonderful children, cared for her 4 grandchildren, and watched 2 great-grandchildren grow up. She loved to cook and she cooked from the heart with no written recipe.  She always seemed to throw a dash of this and a sprinkle of that until the dish was just right. She will always be remembered as kind, loyal, caring, and loving. Irene lit up a room everywhere she went and will be missed by so many. 

In celebration of her life and to honor her memory, we are initiating a fund-raising campaign for the Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. They are a non-profit organization run by volunteers with a mission to provide help for patients and caregivers, advocate for those afflicted, and educate those who do not understand. They also strive to find a cure, improve the quality of life for those affected by bile duct cancer, and examine ways to improve diagnosis and early detection and advance therapies for prolonging life. Please consider making a donation to this important cause to help others with Irene's condition. Her family and friends thank you for honoring Irene's memory by accelerating research for this devastating disease.