Irene M. Tucker passed away January 12, 2022, in Denton TX.  Irene Merritt Tucker was born March 18, 1923, in Calamus (Clinton) IA to Hilda (Soenksen) and Carl Merritt.  Irene grew up in California and attended Fullerton high and Fullerton Jr. College.  Irene served in the US Marine Corp from 1943 to 1945.  She married James Alfred Tucker ll on December 7, 1946.  While in Fullerton, they had four children.  The Tucker's moved to Redlands in 1955 and then Yucaipa.  Irene worked as secretary for Faith Lutheran Church.  Later, Irene worked as secretary for the Yucaipa Superintendent of Schools.

James Tucker retired from Southern California Edison in 1976 and Irene worked for the Yucaipa Board of Realtors.  Later as a broker she owned Irene Tucker and Academy Realty.  James and Irene bought and sold property and raised cattle and barley hay on their ranch on Ivy Street.  The ranch was sub divided in the late 1980s and Carol Drive named after their eldest daughter.  James and Irene moved to Ruidoso, NM and later Alamogordo, NM.  When James health started to fail, they moved to Fountain Hills, AZ.  James Tucker passed away October 6, 1996, just two months short of their 50th Wedding Anniversary.  Irene lived in Palm Desert and Calimesa, CA for a time before moving back to NM in 2007.  She resided in Clovis, NM before moving to Denton, TX in 2018.  Irene is survived by a younger sister Lorraine Himes of Lawton, OK.  She was preceded in death by her younger brother Albert Merritt and her parents.  Irene is survived by her four children:

Carl (Narcie) Tucker of Clovis, NM, Carol Gadd Marshall (John) of Cold Spring, MN, Craig (Sherry) Tucker of Jerome, ID and LaJunta (Joseph D.) Cordova of Lantana, TX.  Six grandchildren: Daniel J. (Ruth) Gadd of Suwanee, GA, Jeffrey L. (Stephanie) Gadd of Jacksonville, FL, Morgan (Seiko) Tucker of Burleson, TX, Loretta Cordova Witters and Connie Cordova of Lantana, TX, and David (LaTonya) Cordova of Lake Havasu City, AZ and TX. James and Irene had ten great grandchildren: Kiara, Jin, Kai, and Riana Tucker; Mia and Marissa Gadd, Caroline and James Gadd; Audrey Witters; and Stryder Cordova.  Also, many nieces and nephews.  Audrey recently quoted her great grandmother Irene "It was a long haul" she said with a wink.  When asked about being 98 she said, "who'd want to." Irene would have been 99 years old in March.  Irene and James Tucker are interred at Loma Vista Memorial Park in Fullerton.

The LORD will be with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you.  Do not be afraid.

Deut. 31:18