Obituary for Irene Ames

Irene Marie Marcil Ames was born on July 7, 1943 in the old North Country hospital on Highland Avenue. She went to be with her Lord on October 15, 2024 after suffering many years with Alzheimer's.

Irene and her mother had to stay in the hospital for two weeks when she was born. At the same time her husband to be Rod Ames was born in the same hospital three days before. When Rod's mother, Nita Ames went home with baby Rod, she went into the maternity ward to say goodbye to the other mothers including Irene' s mother Germaine. Irene's Mother remembers Nita Ames coming in and showing off her little guy and a blue blanket as they were leaving.

Irene grew up on the family farm on Lowell Mountain and attended the school at the bottom of the hill. Her family spoke French at home, so Irene had to learn English when she was in the first grade. As she grew up with a hard-working farming family, she learned a good work ethic. When she was big enough, she helped her father on the farm doing chores, haying and working the farm with a team of horses that was much taller than she was. One time, when the horses needed to be harnessed up to go to work, even though she was short of stature, she harnessed the team of horses for her dad. She attended her first year of high school at Orleans High and then the family sold the farm and moved to Newport. She attended Sacred Heart high school for three years and graduated in 1961. She made many lifelong friends while at Sacred Heart school. During high school she worked at Derby port drive-in in the kitchen. Also, she worked at A&W serving as a carhop until she graduated from high school.

She worked at the Grand Union grocery store located where Pick And Shovel is now. In 1961, She went on a double date with some guys from Derby Academy. She met her husband to be Rod Ames on that double date. In less than a year, Rod and Irene were married. They were both still 18 years old. Both Rod and Irene wanted to go to college, so they set out for Michigan, where Irene enrolled in cosmetology school and Rod enrolled in an electrical apprenticeship course.

They bought their first home in Michigan and within two years adopted their first baby, Eric. Irene was a wonderful mother and loved her new baby very much. After two more years, Jacqueline came into the family and added to this household. They bought several houses, living in and remodeling them when they weren't working at their jobs. After seven years of living in Michigan, the family decided to explore this great Country of ours and traveled over 10,000 miles, living in a camper. During that time Rod worked on construction sites doing electrical work.

Irene and Rod Vermonters at heart and ended back in Vermont building their lifetime Home in Morgan together. Irene was a hard worker, and she worked with Rod where they did most of the work on the home where they have lived for 52 years. Adam was adopted and became such a blessing to this growing family. When Irene was 39 years old, she found out that there was another addition to this family. Alicia was born and now the family was complete.

In 1971 Irene and Rod started Ames Electric that continued for 43 years. Irene served as a homemaker and mother to four children, while helping Rod operate the business. She served as office manager, keeping the work scheduled and bookkeeping.

While the family was on vacation in the White Mountains, they attended a craft show at the Mount Washington Hotel. Irene had always been interested in baskets and was attracted immediately to a basket maker who told her about making Brown Ash baskets. She told Irene about a master basket maker who lived in the next town who had taught her how to make baskets. His name was Newt Washburn who had come from a family of basket makers going back over 100 years. Newt's grandmother was an Abenaki Indian and made baskets for a living. The family would make baskets all winter and then would go and sell the baskets to families and farmers to be used as utensils. Irene and Newt hit it off, and Irene began an apprenticeship learning how to make brown ash baskets in the family Sweetser tradition which featured a star bottom, that made the baskets very strong and long lasting. She would find a brown Ash tree, cut it down, and bring it home, pound and get weaving materials for the baskets that she would then split, and shave to weave into many types of baskets ranging from a bushel basket to a tiny thimble sized basket. She became a master basket maker in her own right, went to many craft shows, gave classes to other people, and made over 900 baskets during her career. She did all of this while still doing her job in the business and raising her four children. Irene loved making baskets for her friends and for members of the family, which were gifts on special occasions. Irene had the privilege of having two baskets placed in the Smithsonian Art Museum along with several other handcrafters using all American materials. The Smithsonian published a book called the Measure of the Earth in which Irene's baskets were featured along with many others from all over the country.

Faith in the Lord was always of utmost importance in Irene 's life. She would get up early in the morning before any of the family was up and have a quiet time in prayer and studying the Bible. Irene would quietly practice her faith including the verse from the Bible which says (Don't be selfish, don't try to impress others, Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves).

Irene attended Derby Community Church, along with the family for several years, was actively involved in the Christian Women's Club called After Five, participated in the Ladies Home Dem club, along with her involvement in Vermont handcrafters.

Irene is survived by her husband Roderick of 62 years, by her children: Jacqueline Patenaude and her husband Richard, Adam Ames, and Alicia Parenteau. She is survived by her grandchildren Michael Johnson, Kylee (Parenteau) Ibica, Makenzie and Jaxson Parenteau, great grandchildren Olivia and Nolan Johnson and Camilo Ibica, as well as many nieces and nephews who she loved very much. She is also survived by her sister Pauline Smith and her husband Bruce, and by her brother-in-law Roger Geoffroy.

Irene was predeceased by her parents Jules and Germaine Marcil, by her son Eric Ames, by her sisters: Alice Faust, and Rachel Geoffroy.

Friends may call from 6-8 P.M. on Thursday October 24, 2024 at the Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home, 4670 Darling Hill Road, Derby. A celebration of life will be held at 11:00 A.M. on Friday October 25, 2024 at the Derby Community Church in Derby, Vermont with Rev. Michael Haddad officiating. Interment will follow in Mead Hill Cemetery. Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the United Christian Academy, Scholarship Fund, 65 School Street, Newport, Vermont 05855 or to the Alzheimer"s Assocation of Vermont, 75 Talcott Road, Suite 40, Williston, Vermont 05495. On line condolences at curtis-britch.com. Arrangements are entrusted to the care of Curtis-Britch & Bouffard Funeral Home, & Cremation Service, locally family owned and operated.