Irene Eugenia Denke

Irene Eugenia Denke

Irene was born on January 15,1940, to Eva and Otilio Villicana in Tapachula, Chiapas,

Mexico. She was baptized and confirmed into the Catholic faith by the Venerable

Archbishop Luis Maria Martinez of Mexico City. She was very proud of this and read all

his books.

She grew up in Cuernavaca, Mexico. It was there while teaching Spanish that she met the

love of her life, Frank D Denke +. Frank had his degree in mathematics and was more a

“number's man”, yet he fell hopelessly in love with her when he saw her beautifully

dancing. They were married on December 29, 1962, and after moved to the United States

to raise their family here..

She was a fierce warrior of her faith. Her Cristero blood ran strong. She began the first

Latin Mass in southern Idaho in our basement in Nampa, ID. She decided to home-school

long before it was a household word. She was adamantly pro life.. Dancing to Mexican

music remained her passion all her life.

After raising their family, Frank fulfilled his promise to take her back to her beloved

homeland. She loved her husband, her children, her Mexican heritage, and Our Lady of

Guadalupe. She deeply mourned the passing of her beloved after 58 years of faithful

marriage. She began to fade with many health issues. After an arduous legal struggle, her

children were able to bring her back legally to Idaho recently in February to be surrounded

by the love of her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. On November 7, 2024,

minutes after receiving Last Rites and Apostolic blessing, she passed peacefully from the

arms of her family into the arms of Jesus and His Mother whom she loved so deeply.

She will be laid to rest with her beloved Frank at Panteon Municipal De Zapopan in

Mexico.

She is survived by her nine children – Paul, Anita, Mike, Maria, Joan, Theresa, Matthew,

James and Bernard. She has 54 grandchildren and an abundant blessing of ever increasing

great grandchildren.