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Irene Louise Giltner Lynn

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Irene Louise Giltner Lynn
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Irene Louise Giltner Lynn
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Irene Louise Giltner Lynn

Irene Louise (Giltner) Lynn, 91, of Smithfield, Pa. (Whitehouse) passed away Saturday, March 3, 2018 at Ruby Memorial Hospital, Morgantown, WV.

She was born in Smithfield, Pa., on March 22, 1926 a daughter of the now late Dick Giltner and Nellie Davis Giltner.

In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her husband, Jack Lynn in 1995, and five siblings.

She is survived by one son, James Lynn, and one daughter, Jackie, both of Smithfield, Pa.

“Grandma” as she was known to most everyone since she became a grandmother in 1967, led a long, healthy and interesting life. She lived her entire life in the house that she was born in on Tobin School Road in Smithfield, Pa. Her parents Dick and Nellie (Davis) Giltner met and were married in Cuba in the early 1900’s. Dick lived and worked there on family-owned property on the Isle of Pines in Cuba, being before Fidel Castro’s regime. Nellie was vacationing there with her parents when their chance meeting (only young American guy there !) led to their courtship and marriage.

They moved back to the little farm and started their family there. A tragic fire in 1916 (on the same house foundation as now) took the lives of Irene’s two sisters and one brother, those children sleeping upstairs at that time. Only her mother (severely burned from the incident and not expected to survive) and her sister, Evie, and infant in Nellie’s arms, survived. Dick looking back on the walk to work the coke ovens saw the flames but could not stop the tragedy. (A neighbor man walking by pulled out Nellie and little Evie). Ensuing years brought two more daughters, Ferne and Irene, she being the baby of the family and forever making the most of it ! Her father Dick always felt remorse about the house fire knowing he had just stoked up the coal furnace. Irene always feared she would also have to face a house fire, which she did, however her son Jimmy managed to connect a water hose and spray down the flames beginning to roar up around the chimney area. Rene loved living on the small family farm and never wanted to leave there. She graduated from Fairchance-Georges High School, Class of 1944 but did wish to pursue higher education because it would involve leaving home. She had an inherent ability for sewing and began a seamstress career as an at-home business as early as her teen years and continuing for decades until her eyesight weakened. She was a Girl Scout Leader as a young woman even baking girl scout cookies from scratch and going on camping trips in the woods. She began working at the company store in Outcrop after graduation, walking there daily passing by the coke ovens (where some men actually lived) and the train tunnel, that still stands. This is where she met her husband Jack who lived nearby. They married and had two children, Jackie in 1949 and Jimmy in 1954. Jack went to work in Cleveland at the Chevy Plant in the early 50s, but Irene hated living in the big city. After just a year she said she’d rather starve on the farm then live in Cleveland.

Her post-depression era resourcefulness never left her. She could make a meal out of air and water. She made sure her children (and husband) always attended Church, no excuses for missing, and remained faithful to the Whitehouse Free Methodist Church. She was pronounced Historian of the Church because of her long-term attendance there. She began free-lance writing even while in high school, having many small articles, hints, poems and short stories published continuing through her entire life, her last poem published just two weeks ago in the Happier Magazine. A notable article was published in the Mother Earth News about stoning her home and she did it all by herself. It took her over 20 years to complete it, but she worked at the Smithfield Pharmacy and Smithfield Diner for many years, businesses owned by her son. She only retired in her 80’s because of diminished hearing. She was the oldest employee ever recorded on the accountant’s records. So she led a long healthy, and interesting life with the Church being a very central part of it. It was from the Church and her faith in Jesus the she drew her strength. She can be at peace now with Jesus and enjoy fellowship with her family and friends that have gone on before her.

Rest in peace, Gramma.

In lieu of the flowers, please donate to the White House Free Methodist Church.

The family received friends in the JOHN F. BROWNFIELD FUNERAL HOME of Smithfield, Pa., Monday from 2 to 4 and 6 to 8 p.m.

Visitation will continue today, Tuesday, from 10 a.m. until 11 a.m. when a Funeral Service will be conducted in the WHITEHOUSE FREE METHODIST CHURCH, Whitehouse, Pa., with the Rev. Kenny Rockwell officiating.

Interment will follow in Mt. Moriah Cemetery, Smithfield, Pa.

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