Irene Wagner

Irene L. Wagner, 93, of Grand Forks, died Saturday, September 27, 2025 at Edgewood Grand Forks.

 Irene Seidler was born in Elgin, ND on April 10, 1932, to Christof and Rosina Seidler. She lived with her parents in the Carson, ND area and was the second youngest of eleven children. After Irene graduated from Carson High School in 1949, she went on to attend Capitol Commercial College in Bismarck, ND. Irene worked as a department store clerk at A. W. Lucas Company and then was employed at the Public Service Commission at the State Capitol in Bismarck. It was in Bismarck that Irene met and married Melvin E. Wagner. On June 23, 1956, they were married at McCabe Methodist Church. The two moved to Grand Forks, ND where Melvin worked for the US Postal Service as a Letter Carrier and after their two daughters started school. 

 Irene worked at the School of Medicine at UND. She worked on UND campus, the Blood Bank, Rehabilitation Center and finally as an Administrative Assistant in the Political Science Department at the University of North Dakota. Irene retired from that position in 1981. Irene prepared many doctoral dissertations and graduate thesis. Irene and Mel were married for 53 years and Mel passed away in 2009. Irene was a member of Wesley United Methodist Church and most recently, a member of Zion United Methodist Church. She served as President of the Letter Carriers Auxiliary and had lifelong friends through that organization. Irene did a lot of gardening and  home canning. She was a good seamstress and sewed many things for her family members. She enjoyed crafts and liked to play cards and  games. She was competitive and she and her husband enjoyed playing pinocle. Irene was active in her church Women’s Circle at one time and was a member of the Merriettes Homemakers Clubs. She was an active player in a Bunco group with her friends. She and her husband were very supportive of their daughter’s activities and also very supportive of their grandchildren’s activities. Great-grandchildren were an added bonus. Family was important and being together and doing things as a family was what made Irene the happiest.

 Irene is survived by a daughter, Tracy (Greg) Wicken, Grand Forks; one granddaughter Jennifer ( Greg) Shane, Grafton, ND; four grandsons, Matthew (Carrie) Hughes, Grafton, ND; Grant (Sarah) Wicken, Bismarck, ND; Michael (Gregoria) Lande, Grafton, ND; and Tyler (BreAnna) Wicken, Grand Forks, ND; nine great-grandsons, Shawn Thompson, Preston Hughes, Christian Wicken, Cooper Keller, Ethan Hughes, Wesson Garza, Wyatt Garza, Deklyn Wicken, Drayton Wicken and one great-granddaughter, Rachel Wicken.

Irene was preceded in death by her parents, ten siblings, her husband, Melvin and her daughter, Kristie Wagner (Hughes) 

Memorials are preferred to the Grand Forks Senior Center.

Funeral Services will be 10:30 a.m. on Friday, October 3, 2025 in Zion United Methodist Church, Grand Forks.  Visitation will be one hour prior to the service in the church.  Interment will be in Memorial Park South Cemetery, Grand Forks.