Irene A. Boland

Irene Agnes Boland went home to her Heavenly Father and beloved husband Joe on Saturday, June 11, 2022. Irene was born on Christmas Eve 1930 to Edward and Jennie Belle (Allen) Gantz. Her older sister Florence (age 19 at the time) was the midwife in the birth of younger sister Irene. Irene was born in a farmhouse located near German Valley, IL. She married Joseph F. Boland on January 10, 1948. Together they reared five children: Ronald Joseph (Shirley), Theresa Ann, Stephen Allen (Janet), Alan Edward (Cheryl) and Joseph David (Amy). Irene was preceded in by her husband Joseph who passed in 2003; six sibling: Florence Nieman, Ethel Nieman, Harold Gantz, David Gantz and Chester Gantz, Dorothy Sack and one grandson. She is survived by her children and one sister, Norma Robieson of Lena, IL, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Irene was a wonderful partner to Joe. She helped him physically build two houses from the basement up and remodeled several others as their family grew. In the 1960's, she actually mixed the mortar that Joe used to lay the bricks for their new house. During the building of that same house, at nine months pregnant, she was crawling through the open ceiling beams pulling electrical wires through to what would be the attic. Joe had been ill but he was able to guide her while sitting on a chair a floor below. In the houses they remodeled, she painted, wall papered and even used a hammer and nail where needed all the time working side-by-side with her husband. She also went on to establish a restaurant business. They purchased an old house and remodeled it into a working restaurant. With the help of her sons as short order cooks, she established a success business. Once the restaurant opened, she was the personnel manager, bookkeeper and made the daily pies and soups. Boland's Backdoor is still remember by faith-full customers who came in for a meal or a piece of pie. Irene did all of this with just an eighth grade education and a loving husband at her side. She will be sorely missed by all her family and friends who loved her but know she is now with the love of her life in her heavenly home. A celebration of life is being planned for at a later date. Cemetery Details Chapel Hill Memorial Gardens 2514 IL-26 Freeport, IL 61032 Loading map