Irene Opal Selcho

Irene Opal Selcho passed away peacefully at the age of 92, on Saturday, Oct. 6, due to kidney failure, she was surrounded by her family.

She was born on the Plager family farm at Paha on Oct. 26, 1919. She attended the first seven grades at the Paha School and went on to graduate from Lind High School in May 1937. After high school, she attended Kinman Business University and graduated from there. She took a position as bookkeeper at Kasper’s Department Store in Lind and worked there for two years until her resignation, in order to get married.

She married Eugene (Gene) G. Selcho on Sept. 8, 1940. They moved to Ritzville and she worked as manager for Adams County Title Company for 30 years, retiring in June 1984.

She was a wonderful mother raising three children while working full time and being a caregiver for her husband. She was a member of the Ritzville Area Chamber of Commerce and the Royal Neighbors of America.

Upon retirement, the couple moved to Sprague Lake to make their home from 1984 to 1998. Their dreams of going south for winter were broken when Gene died of cancer on Dec. 28, 1986. In Sprague, she made great friends and was president of the Sprague 55 Plus club for several years. After her husbands death she commuted from Sprague and worked part time at PureGro and later worked for her son, Jeff, at the title company.

In 1998, she decided it was time to be with her loving caretaker, Stacey. She lived with Stacey and Walter, along with her pets Chiquita and Boo. Chiquita was a wonderful comfort for her and was at her side constantly. She spent her peaceful time doing reading, word seek and having conversations with Chiquita.

She recently lost her eldest son, Brian, on Sept. 13 and was devastated she could not be at his side.

She is survived by her children, Stacey Plummer, and Jeff Selcho; her “third” son, Walter; six grandchildren, Danielle (Mark) Miller, Stacey Lee Selcho, Brandon (Jennifer) Selcho, Russ (Nina) Selcho, Ashley (Larry) Ruiz, and Melissa Selcho; 11 great-grandchildren; siblings, Wes and Joan Plager, Ed and Betty Faure Jr., Don Arlt and Milt Wahl; along with numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial services are to be held on Saturday, Oct. 13, at 2 p.m., at Danekas Funeral Home located at 207 East Main Avenue in Ritzville.