| Irene Sarah Dixon |
Irene Sarah Dixon was born on October 1, 1914 in Rockford, Wright Co, MN to Andrew Dixon
and Ruth Ella Pitt. She was the 7th of 9 children. She spent most of her childhood living on
the Dixon farm in Rockford, however the family lived for awhile in South Dakota in the 1930s
when the financial strain of the great depression sent the family looking for better
opportunities.
As a young adult, Irene worked in Minneapolis as a housekeeper. She enjoyed her newfound
freedom, as Irene was always a very strong, independent woman. The other housekeepers
always got together on their day off and had weekly outings. This is where she met her
lifelong best friend, Edna Holmgren.
One day Irene and Edna, being a little mischievous, decided to "drop in" on a wedding
reception for a free meal. They were "caught" by a woman from the church, but invited to stay
and return the following morning for the church service. Both Irene and Edna accepted
Christ a few months later.
In the late 1930s, Irene traveled to the Ogilvie area to visit Carl Benson who had worked on
her family farm when she was a girl. He was married and had 2 young children. Here she met
Bernard Hallin and they married a few years later on June 14, 1940 in Minneapolis, MN. They
had 3 children, 8 grandchildren and currently have 13 great-grandchildren.
Irene and Bernard owned a business called "Tidy Tub" Laundromat and she said that she
always enjoyed washing clothes. They retired in the late 1970s to Cambridge, MN on a house
they built on Skogman Lake. They enjoyed cutting wood and would use it to heat their home.
Irene also loved to fish and would take her pontoon out on the lake to bring home sunfish for
supper. She did a lot of canning and freezing every summer. One of her favorite things to do
was to pick strawberries and freeze them each June. She was a great cook, too. Her pumpkin
pies were legendary. She liked taking pictures (but not being in them!) and left many home
movies from the 1950s with her 8mm camera.
Irene also loved to play games, especially with her grandchildren. She had a great sense of
humor and loved to laugh and joke around with friends and family. Most importantly, Irene
loved the Lord and prayed daily for her family. She was never shy about telling others about
Jesus. She had the spiritual gift of hospitality and entertained often at her home. She was
known for her large family gatherings in her converted attached garage.
Irene died on August 28, 1994 after a long battle with cancer.
and Ruth Ella Pitt. She was the 7th of 9 children. She spent most of her childhood living on
the Dixon farm in Rockford, however the family lived for awhile in South Dakota in the 1930s
when the financial strain of the great depression sent the family looking for better
opportunities.
As a young adult, Irene worked in Minneapolis as a housekeeper. She enjoyed her newfound
freedom, as Irene was always a very strong, independent woman. The other housekeepers
always got together on their day off and had weekly outings. This is where she met her
lifelong best friend, Edna Holmgren.
One day Irene and Edna, being a little mischievous, decided to "drop in" on a wedding
reception for a free meal. They were "caught" by a woman from the church, but invited to stay
and return the following morning for the church service. Both Irene and Edna accepted
Christ a few months later.
In the late 1930s, Irene traveled to the Ogilvie area to visit Carl Benson who had worked on
her family farm when she was a girl. He was married and had 2 young children. Here she met
Bernard Hallin and they married a few years later on June 14, 1940 in Minneapolis, MN. They
had 3 children, 8 grandchildren and currently have 13 great-grandchildren.
Irene and Bernard owned a business called "Tidy Tub" Laundromat and she said that she
always enjoyed washing clothes. They retired in the late 1970s to Cambridge, MN on a house
they built on Skogman Lake. They enjoyed cutting wood and would use it to heat their home.
Irene also loved to fish and would take her pontoon out on the lake to bring home sunfish for
supper. She did a lot of canning and freezing every summer. One of her favorite things to do
was to pick strawberries and freeze them each June. She was a great cook, too. Her pumpkin
pies were legendary. She liked taking pictures (but not being in them!) and left many home
movies from the 1950s with her 8mm camera.
Irene also loved to play games, especially with her grandchildren. She had a great sense of
humor and loved to laugh and joke around with friends and family. Most importantly, Irene
loved the Lord and prayed daily for her family. She was never shy about telling others about
Jesus. She had the spiritual gift of hospitality and entertained often at her home. She was
known for her large family gatherings in her converted attached garage.
Irene died on August 28, 1994 after a long battle with cancer.
Irene with her grandmother Sarah
Cochran Dixon, c. 1916
Cochran Dixon, c. 1916
| Irene riding horse in 1984 at the Schnell farm in Alberta, Canada. |
Irene with Carl Benson, the man who introduced Irene
and Bernard. (He was married to Bernard's niece
Selma)
and Bernard. (He was married to Bernard's niece
Selma)
| Irene (on right) with her life-long best friend Edna Holmgren |