Irene K. Edinger

Irene K. Edinger, 65, of Harbert, Michigan, was called to her heavenly home on Friday, Sept 27, 2002 at Lakeland Hospital, St. Joseph. A Celebration of life services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30 at Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Joseph. Visitation will be held Sunday Sept. 29 from 2-5 p.m. at Starks & Menchinger Family Funeral Home. Friends wishing to sign the guest book on line may do so at www.starks-menchginger.com Irene was born on November 2, 1936 in St. Joseph to Irma and Paul Kunst. She holds a Master of Music degree in voice from the University of Michigan. She has a solo performing career in opera, oratorio, recital and chamber music with the Kenneth Jewell Chorale of Detroit, the Wayne state University Orchestra, Oakland University Orchestra, the Chicago Baroque Ensemble, the Kalamazoo Oratorio Society, the Kalamazoo, Kantorei, the Lutheran A Cappella Choir of Milwaukee, Wis., the Southwest Michigan Symphony Orchestra and the Lakeland Choral Society of St. Joseph. In Chicago she was a professional singer with the Grant Park Chorus, the Chicago Symphony Chorus and the Fourth Presbyterian Church Choir of Chicago. Irene has sung leading roles in staged productions of A Masked Ball, Cosi Fan Tutte, The Bartered Bride, and The Pirates of Penzance, The Merry Widow, and Showboat. She was a voice instructor at Lake Michigan College for 12 years and directed the Trinity Lutheran Choir in St. Joseph for many years. Irene is survived by her husband, Richard, who she married on September 6, 1959 in St. Joseph; son, Mark from Lawrence; daughter, Lynn (Mark) Jary and four grandchildren ? Hannah, Andrew, Madeline, and Tessa; from Grandville, Mich., and her mother Irma of Bridgman. Memorials may be made to Trinity Lutheran Church, St. Joseph.