Obituary; Irene Frances Grabin Dent

Irene Frances Grabin Dent passed away on June 8, 2014 at the Mineral Community Hospital in Superior Montana.

Irene was born in Chandler, Colorado on May 20th, 1925. She was the oldest child of John Samuel Grabin and Ester Francis Epperson Grabin.

She was a coal miner’s daughter, she was born in a coal camp and spent most of her childhood and teen years in them.

Like many of her generation, Irene did not have an easy life. From the time she was old enough to help her mother, she became a second mother to her younger siblings, of which there would be nine.

She married Wesly Everett Dent in Nevada in 1942 at the age of 17. Wes was in the Navy at the time, after World War II they moved to Oregon and began a life together. They had six boys. The family lived there until the search for work took them to Idaho and then on to Superior in 1966.

Wes and Irene’s home was always open to those in need, sometimes it was a younger niece or nephew who came to stay, family members looking for work or sometimes a friend of one of the boys would be having a rough time at home and come to stay for awhile. Wes would take them all hunting or fishing and when they came home Irene would have a meal on the table for them, always including one of her great pies.

The Lord got Irene through life, the good days and the bad. Irene always wanted to help people even though she had little of her own to share. Her children were the love of her life and she wanted her children and grandchildren to follow her example and extend a helping hand to anyone in need.

Irene was preceded in death by four of her sons, one granddaughter, seven of her siblings and her husband.

Survivors include her two sons Ron and Rick, two brothers, Tim and bob, nine grandchildren, eight great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.

A memorial service will be held at the Assembly of God church in Superior at 2 p.m. on July 12th, 2014.