Service:  A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date.

Clarice Elaine Irons, age 89, died on September 7, 2026 in Santa Fe, NM.  She was born on March 31,1937 in Midland, SD to parents Hazel (Walters) and Clarence Engman.  She was their only child.  Clarice had fond memories of her childhood on their farm near Princeton, MN.  One of her favorite memories from that time included raising a prize-winning heifer.

Clarice graduated from high school in Hartford, SD in 1955.  She went on to obtain a BS degree in Education from the University of South Dakota in 1958, where she was also a member of the Alpha Xi Delta national women’s fraternity.  While teaching English at Canton High School, she went back to college to earn her MS in Library Science degree.  With this degree, she became the librarian at Canton High School for several years.

Clarice was briefly married to Philip Byrnes, Jr. with whom she was the mother of two sons, Marshall and Barry.  She later married Richard (Dick) Irons on June 10,1967 at Canton Lutheran Church and became step-mom to his three children, Julie, David, and Timothy.  Dick and Clarice were married for 58 years until Dick’s death in December 2025.

Following retirement, Clarice and Dick were campground hosts and enjoyed traveling fulltime in their RV.  They lived in Tucson, AZ for several years where Clarice became an avid fan of Arizona Wildcat basketball.  She also enjoyed watching NBA games on television.

Clarice and Dick spent their senior years in Las Cruces, NM, where she continued to pursue her hobbies of reading, sewing, and landscape painting.  Clarice and Dick were also active members of Peace Lutheran Church in Las Cruces.  She was a lifelong dog lover and was especially fond of her West Highland terriers, Lucy and Gus.

Clarice is survived by her sons, Marshall Irons and Barry (Jean) Irons, her step-daughter, Julie (Doug) Verley, and her step-sons, David (Nancy), Irons, and Tim Irons, nine grandchildren, and five great-grandchildren.

 A graveside memorial service will be held at a later date.