Irene J. Henning

Irene Josephine (Hardy) Henning of Alanson, Michigan passed away peacefully at age of 94 years, surrounded by her beloved family and amazing caregivers at Aspen Ridge Assisted Living in Gaylord, Michigan (her second home) on Monday, October 17, 2016.

Irene was born in Goodells, Michigan on a Christmas Day (12/25/1921) to Ernest Richard Hardy and Caroline Katherine (Klanowsky) Hardy.  She was the oldest of twelve children.

Irene is predeceased by her beloved husband of 62 years, Earl Warren Henning and by her son, Keith Warren Henning of Harbor Springs, Michigan, who is survived by Mildred (Limieur) Henning of Harbor Springs; children Nicole (Jeremy) Biggerstaff of Charlevoix, Jacques Henning, Renee (David) Forman of Harbor Springs and Blaise (Emily) Henning of Oden.

Irene is survived by seven of her eight children who include Claudia (Henning) Kadlitz of Shelby Twp., Michigan, Pamela (Richard) Cushman of Petoskey, Deborah (the late Glenn Lewandowski) Lyon of Petoskey, Damien (Martha)Henning of Alanson,  Felicia (Jan) VanZelfden of Holland, Michigan, Jeffrey (Kathryn) Henning of Alanson, Laura (Brad) and Armstrong of Northville, Michigan.  Irene was the proud grandmother of 27 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, and great great grandmother of one.

Irene’s remaining siblings are Delores (Hardy) Rankin of Pontiac, Michigan, Marlin Hardy and Larry Hardy of Lewiston, Michigan.  The Hardy family has countless nieces and nephews countrywide.

While Irene was a very private person who wanted to be remembered for only three things: Good Wife, Good Mother, and for living a Good Life, she was so very much more.

Irene began her journey in the tiny Michigan thumb town of Goodells on a family farm.  Irene grew up in East Detroit (now Eastpointe) Michigan.  She graduated in 1940 from East Detroit High School.  She then began to work in downtown Detroit travelling by streetcar to Hudson’s Department Store.  She often remarked that she dressed her siblings like “little dolls” once she began drawing a paycheck.

When WWII broke out, Irene joined the patriotic workforce of women who became known as “Rosie’s” as in Rosie the Riveter, working at the main wartime Chrysler plant. The hours were long and the money was good.   When the war ended, men returned and she took on another service related position working at Saratoga Hospital. Her “Hardy” family & her little dolls were her life.  She loved horses, pencil sketching clothing, music and song, and roller skating.

She met and married her love, Earl Henning on June 27, 1945 and began a family together on Detroit’s Eastside. She was a devoted firefighter’s wife and an awesome mom to her growing brood of eight (8) children.  As a Domestic Engineer, Irene managed to fill her home with stories, song/music, laughter, education, and abiding love and faith in God.  Prior to moving to northern Michigan, the Henning’s were prominent parishioners at St. David Catholic Church and School.  Irene was proud to have all of her children attend parochial school.   She always said that the family who prayed together, stayed together.

The Henning family moved to northern Michigan in 1968 and Irene became a cofounder/co-developer of “El Rancho Alanson Camper’s Country Club”.  Irene was truly “the wind beneath Earl’s wings”… for she never sought the limelight in that or any other of his endeavors but she did keep the home fires burning.  Irene loved the song, “Amazing Grace” and oftentimes, right up until her final days she would just be heard singing it and “God Bless America”.  In the early 1990’s they began their retirement years. Those years were filled with attendance at graduations, weddings, sporting events and enjoying grandchildren.  Irene & Earl traveled to Pharr, Texas every winter to be Snowbirds, and while she enjoyed that time with Earl and the Rio Grande Valley, her heart was never far from where her children were back in Michigan or Tennessee.

After Earl’s passing in 2008, Irene continued to be the heart of her family.  Irene treasured her family and her family returned that love to her so Irene never spent one night alone thanks to the generous spirits of her children and of their spouses.  She will be remembered for her beautiful smile, her gentle and kind spirit, a “wicked” sense of humor, her contagious laughter, her eye for detail, for teaching us to hold on tightly to each other’s hands & hearts, for forgiveness of faults, second chances, for belief in God and the power of prayer but most of all for her unconditional  love.

Irene discovered a whole new world when she began physical therapy in Petoskey, thanks to the tenacity of her daughters Pamela & Deborah, she walked the line…..and she blossomed.

In her final months, Irene adopted a whole new family at Aspen Ridge Assisted Living.  Her Henning family will be forever grateful for the love and level of attention Irene and her family received through that part of her journey.

Arrangements were handled in Gaylord By Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.  A memorial gathering was held at the Stone Funeral Home in Petoskey on Wednesday, October 19, 2016 3:00pm-7:00pm. Any donation, in lieu of flowers, can be made in name of Irene Henning to Hospice of Northern Michigan or to the Vietnam Veterans of America.