Irene Ruth (Shimmin) Holsworth, 96, beloved mother, grandmother, great grandmother, and great-great grandmother, passed away peacefully on August 14, 2025, at Monument Health Hospice House in Rapid City, SD.
She was born on March 16, 1929, in Albertha Township, Dickey County, North Dakota to Charles Shimmin and Marie (Anliker) Shimmin. Irene grew up on a farm near Ellendale, North Dakota. She attended schools in the Ellendale and Forbes area.
On September 26, 1946, Irene married Junior James Holsworth in Aberdeen, SD. After marriage they settled on a farm in Brown County, SD, south of Forbes, ND. From this union, nine children were born. In 1954, the family moved to Rapid City, SD.
In 1967, Irene started working outside the home when her youngest started school. She had a long career in retail starting at Newberry’s, then Kresge’s and K-Mart. She retired after 25 years in 1994.
Irene and Junior relocated to first Aurora, CO in 1983 and then later to Grapevine, TX for Junior’s health. Junior passed away October 1985. Irene remained in the mid-cities area of Dallas/Fort Worth, TX and took her retirement from K-Mart to return to Rapid City, SD.
Survivors are her adult children: James (Donna) Holsworth, Hermosa, SD, Elaine Hook, Rapid City, SD, Jerry (Deberah) Holsworth, Pilot Point, TX, Judy (Jack) Smith, Oxford, PA, Nancy Birkeland, Rapid City, SD, Rodney (Linda) Holsworth, Odessa, TX, Debra (Patrick) Bilbrey, River Falls, WI and Michael (Connie) Holsworth, Black Hawk, SD. She is also survived by 20 grandchildren, 25 great grandchildren and 9 great-great grandchildren; and siblings: Oscar (Evie) Fuller, Ellendale, ND, Barbara (Chuck) Fuller Slusher, Marquez, TX, Rosemarie Fuller Wallace, Bismark, ND and Robert (Jayne) Fuller, Golden Valley, MN.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Junior of 39 years, an infant daughter, Carol Ann, son-in-law Jerryce Hook, son-in-law Jim Birkeland, granddaughter Debe James Warner, parents, stepfather Roy Fuller, brother Vernard Shimmin and sister Evelyn Shimmin Holsworth.
Donations can be made to Monument Health Hospice House in Irene’s name.
A very special THANK YOU to the staff at Monument Health Hospice House. The care, kindness, and compassion they all had was exemplary in every way!