Maribell Irwin

With heart felt sorrow we would like to announce the passing of Sondra Maribell Irwin, a longtime resident of Odessa, Nebraska, at the age of 88. She was born September 17th, 1935, and passed away October 3rd, 2023, while being cared for by her children and their spouses, the wonderful staff at WEL-Life at Kearney, and the caring nurses and staff of Tabitha Home Health & Hospice Care. Visitation will be held on Wednesday, October 11, 2023, from 5-7 p.m. at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. A memorial service for S. Maribell Irwin will be held on Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 10:30 a.m. at O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral Home in Kearney. A light lunch will be served promptly after the memorial service followed by last words and burial at Kearney Cemetery next to her husband. Memorials are suggested to Kearney Tackles Cancer. Condolences may be shared online at www.osrfh.com. Services are entrusted to O’Brien Straatmann Redinger Funeral and Cremation Services. Maribell was born in Lexington, Nebraska to a wonderful and loving family with many fond memories of living a farm life with her parents and seven siblings. She later moved to Kearney where she graduated from Longfellow High School in 1953. Following her graduation she moved to Omaha, Nebraska where she graduated from Creighton College and worked for Peter Kiewit as a bookkeeper. She shared an apartment with four young women whose friendship has lasted throughout her lifetime. Many wonderful memories were made during those years which also resulted in her meeting and marrying her husband Tom Irwin while he was stationed at Offutt Air Force base. After the birth of their two sons, Mark and Michael, the couple moved to Stanton, Nebraska where their son Stanley was born. They later relocated back to Kearney to be closer to family and settled in Odessa, Nebraska where they lived when their daughter Susan was born. She made a life there, befriending many wonderful neighbors, and chose to remain in Odessa after the death of her husband Tom in 1985, for 53 years. She held several jobs in Kearney while ending her work career at Eaton Corporation where she befriended many of her coworkers retiring in 2000 after 24 years without missing a day of work. She enjoyed gardening, reading, spending time with her family, and bowling in her younger years. Maribell is preceded in death by her husband Thomas Irwin; her parents Kenneth and Alvera Kirwan; her brothers Arnold Kirwan, Raymond Kirwan, and Myron Kirwan; her brother-in-law Neil Drew and sister-in-laws Dorothy, Donna, Jean, and Mary. She is survived by her brothers, Laroue Kirwan, Emil Kirwan (Virginia), David Kirwan, and her sister LaRae Drew; her sons, Mark (Carole) Irwin of Arizona, Mike (Lisa) Irwin of Kearney, Stan Irwin of Georgia; her daughter Susan (Mark) Gutierrez of Lexington; her grandchildren, Jacob, Megan, Cassandra, Jared, Katie, Leigh, Brandon, Justen, Shania and great grandchildren, Brayden, Sadie, and Blakely. Our Mother was a very special person whose welcome smile, limitless kindness, loving soul, and spirited sense of humor made those that knew her fall in love with the kind of person we would all like to be. She was our example of how life can be if you treat people with respect and kindness, to be determined to stay the course, to be fair above favoritism, and the simple principals of life that make it worth living. She showed us that a sense of humor and selflessness is not a weakness but the greatest of all strengths. We will miss you dearly as we wave goodbye from the front porch, and promise to carry on your legacy you have left in our hearts and souls. We love all of those that loved and cared for her and we wish Mom well on her next journey. Love You, Mom.

Maribell Irwin

September 17, 1935 - October 3, 2023