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IRENE SIEMENS
Born: Sep 28, 1935
Date of Passing: Sep 11, 2026
Send Flowers to the Family Offer Condolences or MemoryIRENE SIEMENS
It is with sadness and gratitude for a life well lived that we announce the passing of Irene Siemens on September 11, 2026, at the age of 90.
Irene Siemens, known to many as “Reenie”, was born on September 28, 1935, in the small farming village of Osterwick, just south of Winkler, Manitoba, to Agatha and Isbrand Siemens. She spent her childhood on a traditionally laid-out Mennonite farmstead beside the village school, often recalling the family's flower garden, whose trees and blooms occasionally attracted visitors to the village to stop by for arrangements.
Over time the farm grew. New buildings transformed the property and the farm began to flourish. Sadly, in 1949, Irene’s father passed away at the age of 49 when she was 13. Following her father’s death, Irene’s home as an active farm was dismantled and her family eventually moved to Winkler. As put by Irene, “Life for me did not move ahead in some previously anticipated pattern but perhaps in a more interesting way than I could have predicted.”
In the early 1950s Irene moved from Winkler to Winnipeg for work, where she met new people, enjoyed new experiences and, began building a family of her own.
In February of 1957 Irene married Lloyd Siemens, with whom she shared a partnership marked by learning, travel, and shared curiosity. Together they raised two children: Gerry and René, and followed opportunities that took them beyond Manitoba. The family spent more than five years in Madison, Wisconsin, while Lloyd completed both his master's degree and doctorate in English. They later lived on the West Coast, where Lloyd taught at the University of British Columbia before accepting a position as a professor at the University of Winnipeg, his Alma Mater.
Throughout these years, Irene continued to pursue her own interests and education. She took academic courses, studied voice, and worked in a variety of roles while raising her sons.
Among Irene's favourite memories was spending time in the United Kingdom with Lloyd during his periods of literary research and writing. Together they explored hundreds of locations associated with Shakespeare's plays and the works of many other British authors. While there, Irene became recognized for her brass rubbings, a number of which are portrayed in Jenny McLaughlin’s book on the subject. A lifelong lover of the arts, Irene found joy in music and painting, becoming an accomplished watercolour artist in her later years.
In 1995 Irene welcomed her first grandchild, Rowen, followed by Eli and Lexi. She spoke often of her grandchildren and took great interest in their many pursuits, accomplishments, and adventures.
Irene will be remembered for her deep knowledge of politics, her sharp wit, and her keen observations of the human experience, all conveyed through an expansive and remarkably precise vocabulary.
She is survived by her sons Gerard (Gerry) and Reynold (René) Siemens; her grandchildren Rowen McKinnon-Guy (Evan), Eli Siemens and Lexi Siemens; her sisters Ruth Janzen (John) and Anna May Myers (Harvey); her sisters-in-law Fran Siemens and Kathy Menzies; and many extended family members and friends. She was predeceased by her husband, Lloyd Siemens; her parents, Agatha and Isbrand Siemens; her sister Grace Wieler; and her brothers-in-law Reynold Siemens, Robert Menzies, and Frank Wieler.
The family wishes to thank the community and St Boniface palliative care teams for the great care they provided Irene in her final days.
As published in Winnipeg Free Press on Oct 03, 2026
