Fern Lu Etta Irvin

Fern Lu Etta Irvin, one of eight children of Louis Virgil Porter and Lesla Lorraine (Twitty) Porter, was born July 22, 1925 in Ava, Missouri. When Fern was in first grade, her family moved to Northboro, Iowa where she attended school. She later moved to Shenandoah, Iowa and worked as a waitress at the Sunset CafA(c). A young man would frequent the restaurant and fell in love with Fern's Denver sandwiches, which eventually led him to fall in love with Fern. Fern and Melvin Lee Irvin were married on December 31, 1943 at Hiawatha, Kansas. They made their first home in Shenandoah where Fern and her sister Ruby would sing on the KFNF Radio Station on Saturday nights. In 1945, Fern and Melvin moved to a farm near Hastings, Iowa. Their marriage was blessed with four children, Lillian Garnet, Michael Lynn, Carolyn Jean, and Lisha Yvonne. Fern is also remembered as a second mother to Melvin's six brothers. She enjoyed being a farm wife, homemaker, and mother. She also worked as a cook at the Strahan School. She loved making gooseberry pies and corncob jelly, was famous for her cinnamon rolls, and all was right with the world once she had canned 100 quarts of green beans each season. She enjoyed needlework, quilting and crocheting. Fern was a member of the Strahan United Methodist Church and the Women's Society of Christian Service, and a Cub Scout den mother. In later years, she helped Anna Rose Coddington raise purebred dogs.
In February of 2005, due to failing health, Fern moved to the Tabor Manor in Tabor, Iowa. She and Melvin had been married 62 years when Fern died at the Manor on September 18, 2006 at the age of 81 years, one month, and 26 days. Fern was preceded in death by her parents and her brother Delmer Porter.
Fern is survived by her husband Melvin Lee Irvin of Hastings, IA; children, Lillian Irvin of Shenandoah, IA, Michael Irvin and wife Debra of Hastings, IA, Carolyn Scobee and husband Darrell of Green City, MO; Lisha Barone and David Webster of Council Bluffs, IA; 7 grandchildren; sisters Vivian Pennington of Clifton Hill, MO, Ruby Milligan and husband Max of Baxter, IA, Wilma Maness of Booneville, AR, and Doris Barton and husband Bob of Sidney, IA; brothers Eugene Porter and wife Betty of Monroe, IA and Jim Porter and wife Janet of Baxter, IA.