Irlene Ecker, 98 of Hettinger, ND passed away on Tuesday, May 20, 2025 at the West River Regional Medical Center in Hettinger, ND.

A Gathering of Family and Friends will be Tuesday, May 27, 2025, from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. at the Centennial Chapel of Evanson Jensen Funeral Homes in Hettinger. Fr. Greg Hilzendeger will officiate the Memorial Mass on Wednesday, May 28 at 11:00 a.m. at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church with lunch to follow. A private burial will be held a later time.

Irlene Hazel Ecker departed from this world on May 20, 2025, after a brief stay at West River Health Services. She was born, lived, and passed away in her hometown of Hettinger, ND at the age of 98. She was a strong, independent lady and was able to live in her home to the very end.

Irlene was affectionally known as "Sis" not only to her brothers and sisters, but their children as well. She was a 2nd generation Norwegian-American and was the 6th of nine children born to Peter and Bertha Melling - a birthdate she felt blessed to later share along with many birthday celebrations, including her last, with her first grandchild Gina.

Irlene lived on the family farm and attended Pleasant View Country School #2 through 8th grade. She moved to town to stay with a family and helped care for their children in exchange for room and board while attending high school - a common practice during that time for farm families. She graduated from Hettinger High School in 1945.

In 1948, what started as a drive to a nearby town with another couple to get "coffee" after singing in the local spring cantata ended up as a double wedding elopement to Billings. Irlene was wed to James Ecker on March 29, 1948, and to this union three children were born, Billy, Denny, and some years later, Kellie.

Irlene started working after high school at the courthouse and the local co-op. Irlene's husband, Jim, was an entrepreneur and business owner owning two local liquor establishments, The Mecca and The Midway (in addition to Jim Ecker & Sons) where she often helped tend bar and do inventory. Irlene also worked with her brother staining and varnishing woodwork and wallpapering for his construction projects. She brought this skill home where she and her husband restored numerous furniture pieces and created special projects for the kids and grandkids – Jim doing the carpentry work and Irlene staining and varnishing the project. Irlene loved clothes and shopping, so it was no surprise that she indulged this passion by working at the "Town Shop" and later "Di' Anns" - two local ladies clothing boutiques. Daughter Kellie often teased the "shopping gene" skipped a generation as the shopping exploits of Irlene and her granddaughters Gina and Hailey were no match for her!

Irlene loved "good" music! She had a knack for being able to sit down at her piano and play a song she just heard by ear.  Irlene enjoyed listening to her brothers sing and she herself could often be heard singing along with her records or 8-tracks on the stereo. She loved to dance and would dance with the kids or grandchildren in the kitchen and fondly remembered her grandson Scott as a baby bouncing in time to music.

She thoroughly enjoyed being outside no matter the season. Irlene had a green thumb and enjoyed the spring ritual of planting flowers and tending to them. And don't forget the birds - she loved watching and identifying birds. Irlene loved all things sports. She enjoyed shooting trap, hunting pheasant and deer in the fall. She played first base for her softball team and if she wasn't watching golf on TV, she was out at the golf course at the very least once a week playing on the ladies' golf league during the summer. One year, she and a dear friend were "pretty tickled" they were able to play a round of golf every month that year! During the winter months you could find her snowmobiling with family and friends at her brother's farm or bowling for the Hide & Fur "Skunks." Golf and bowling were also a passion that she shared with her husband, Jim. In her later years you could find Irlene surfing the TV channels for bull-riding, a football or baseball game – often cheering for the underdog, or her favorite - UND Hockey. If he wasn't seated next to her watching, son Denny was known to call to make sure she didn't miss a hockey game!

She was very proud of being a charter member of the Ladies Eagles Auxiliary and served on the St. Anne's Alter Society at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. She volunteered on the local election board, for West River Health Services, and for the Community Clothes Closet, where she also served on the Board.

She belonged to a variety of "clubs" over the years – bridge clubs, birthday clubs, snowmobile club, rodeo club, exercise club – and could also be found weekly at the Senior Citizens Center playing cards as well.

Irlene's house seemed to be the hub, and the coffee was always on. Family and friends often stopped by for a game of pinochle, cribbage, or Chinese checkers, or just to visit. She loved a good game! Recent years found her game of choice to be dominoes and enjoyed playing with her family. Her son Bill would stop in most every day to get in a quick game of chicken foot.

Her interests were vast, and she felt fortunate to be able to share her hobbies and passions with each of her children, their spouses, and their children.

She is preceded in death by Jim, her husband of nearly 49 years, her parents, her five brothers and three sisters, and one daughter in-law Bonnie (Anderson) Ecker. Grateful for the time they were blessed to share with Irlene are her three children, William Ecker (special friend Deb) and Dennis (Carla) Ecker of Hettinger, and Kellie (Scott) Kolb of Aberdeen, SD; Three grandchildren, Gina (Jeff) Melgaard of Grand Forks, ND, Scott Ecker of Rapid City, SD and Hailey (Dalton) Mellmer of Reeder, ND; and three+ great grandchildren, Dylan, Evan and Grayson Melgaard, and Baby Mellmer soon to make his appearance; sisters-in-law Emma Melling, Ione Melling, and a host of nieces and nephews.

Having seen how cancer impacted her family as well as herself, she requested donations be made to your favorite cancer-related charity.