Alice 'Irene' Wilson, 92

Alice "Irene" Wilson, 92, died on Tuesday, Nov. 11, 2008, at Sandpoint, Idaho. At Irene's request, there will be no funeral services.

Irene was born in Colbert, Wash.,  on Jan. 12, 1916, the daughter of Willis and Bernice Fisher.

She graduated from high school in Post Falls, Idaho, and enrolled at what was then the Coeur d'Alene Junior College.

Subsequently, she attended the University of Idaho, graduating with a bachelor's degree in journalism and went to work as a reporter for the Spokane Chronicle.

She married Thomas I. Wilson on Sept. 25, 1937, and in 1939, she and Tom moved to Hepner, Ore., where she worked for the local paper and was also a correspondent journalist for the East Oregonian, the Oregonian and the Walla Walla Bulletin.

Tom and Irene moved to Sandpoint in 1959 locating their home on the Sunnyside Peninsula where they spent much of their time tending their fruit trees and gardens.

Since Tom's death in 1996, Irene has lived independently in the home they built on Sunnyside Road.

Irene was a conservationist and remained concerned about the environment throughout her life. In her younger years, Irene enjoyed skiing. She also enjoyed working in her garden, playing bridge and sharing her life with her many good friends.

She is survived by her sister, Viola Fisher of Santa Fe, N.M. She was preceded in death by her husband, Thomas; her parents, Willis and Bernice Fisher; and her brothers, W. Edward Fisher and Robert Fisher.

During Irene's lifetime, she provided scholarships and funding for North Idaho College and the East Bonner County Library.

Memorials can be made to the Nature Conservancy, the East Bonner County Library and North Idaho College.