Irene Westley

Irene S. Westley, 97, Bismarck, North Dakota, formerly of Jamestown died Friday, October 15, 2004 at Missouri Slope Lutheran Care Center in Bismarck.

Irene was born March 19, 1907 in Jamestown to Eddie M. and Floy A. (Rathman) Seiler, pioneers in the Jamestown Community. Mr. Seiler died in 1912 and Irene's mother later married her beloved stepfather, Edward B. Ingstad. Irene graduated from Jamestown High School in 1925 and from Jamestown College in 1928, where she was the second ever Jimmie Homecoming Queen. She married Peter O. Langemo on July 2, 1935 at the family home in Jamestown. They lived in LaMoure, Fessenden, and Harvey where Pete managed and owned men's clothing stores and Irene was a high school teacher and principal. They raised one son, Larry. In 1959 they moved to Jamestown where Pete became a partner in Solien's Men's Clothing Store with Irene's brother, Keith Ingstad. Pete died in 1967 after which Irene began a long and happy employment in the Jamestown College Registrar's Office. She married William Westley, a former Jamestown Mayor and college dean on August 22, 1974. Bill and Irene enjoyed 8 years of traveling and retirement until his death in 1982.

Irene was a kind and thoughtful, and outgoing lady of great faith who always practiced her mother's favorite teaching: ""If you can't say something nice about somebody or something, don't say anything at all!"" If you asked Irene how she was doing, the answer would always be an enthusiastic: ""I'm fine!"" She loved her son, stepdaughters, nieces, nephews, grandchildre, and great grandchildren and enjoyed being around them. When asked to describe what kind of person Irene was, friends from all periods of her life most often used the word sweet and they were referring to much more than her legendary sweet tooth. She especially enjoyed ""going out"" for lunch, dinner, pie or coffee with her Jamestown friends.

Irene was an active member of United Presbyterian Church, AAUW, Jamestown College Alumni Association, Eastern Star, Retired Teacher's Association, and P.E.O. in Jamestown.

She is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Larry and Julie Fadden Langemo, Bismarck; her brother and sister-in-law, Keith and LaVerne Ingstad, Palm, Springs, CA; stepdaughers and sons-in-law, Catherine and Jim Roberts, Silver Spring, MD; Dorothy Harden, Golden, CO; and Marion and Joel Kvamme, Minneapolis, MN; three granddaughters, Julie Hinsz and husband, Bryan, Bismarck; Cassie Tostenson and husband, Christopher, Fresno, CA; and Betsy Langemo, Anchorage, AK; two great-grandchildren, Nicholas Bryan Hinsz and Mia Irene Hinsz, Bismarck and 10 step-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her step-father; both of her husbands; sisters, Madge Salie and Edna Pederson; her half-sister, Luella Mueller; and half-brothers, Robert and Donald Ingstad.

In lieu of flowers, Irene's family prefers memorials made to Jamestown College in her name.