Irene Esther Mikkelsen

Irene Mikkelsen, born September 4, 1921, passed away November 26, 2023.

Irene was born on the family farm in Hillsboro, ND.  She was one of 6 children born to Olaf and Bertha Safgren.  She was 6 years old when her family moved to their home on the south edge of Moorhead, MN.  She attended grade and high school in the Moorhead district and graduated in 1940 from Moorhead State College High School.  She married Clarence Mikkelsen in the fall of 1940.  They lived in Glyndon, MN 5 years before moving to their farm SW of Glyndon.  She worked in Glyndon’s Mercantile Store, which they owned before they built the strip mall on Highway 10.  For several years, Irene ran the Tastee Freez, which was in that strip mall. 

Irene was very active in community, church, and social circles.  She served on the Clay County Housing Board for 17 years.  She moved to Arizona in 2004 after her husband passed and lived there until 2020 when she moved into Oak Crossing in Detroit Lakes.  Irene loved to bowl and play golf, scoring a hole-in-one at the age of 85.  She caught a fly ball at a Diamond Backs game and loved watching and keeping stats of all the Suns BB games for 15 years.

She had 4 children; sons Gary, Mike and Tom preceded her in death and her daughter, Trish, lives in AZ.  She also has 9 grandchildren and several great-grandchildren. 

A private family graveside service will be held.