I'd first like to thank you all for joining us here today, both family and friends alike. Miss Irene would be proud of the respect you've shown her and honored by your presence.

For those of you that may not know me, my name is Carey, and Miss Irene was a dear friend of mine. My parents were best friends with her beloved son, Don. As I've heard family refer to him as Donald Wayne. I always just called him Don.

Miss Irene and her husband Jim were living in Kansas City, where Jim had moved to for work. Shortly there after Jim helped Don a job there as well, and soon my parents followed. All having come from a small town in Louisiana, together away from home. A few years later, in the fall of 1974, I was born. Funny how these events of Miss Irene's journey predicted my birth town.

Miss Irene shared with me not long ago that when I was born, my mother didn't know anything about taking care of a baby, so she embraced the opportunity to show my mom the ropes. How to change a diaper, to burping me. I spoke to my mom about this and she acknowledged how that was all true, and how grateful she was for the kindness Irene had shown and being there to help.

The first several years of my life are filled with memories of spending time at Miss Irene's two story white house with a swing on the front porch. In that home they had a game room with a pool table and shelves filled with bowling trophies they had won. To this day I can remember playing out in the snow, coming in to get warm and the smell of food cooking there on the gas stove in the kitchen, where Miss Irene would be hosting a nice hot meal for us all to share.

Don and my parents lived together for years as I was a child. Don would play the guitar for me and I would be mesmerized by his talent. A lot of fond memories I will always cherish.

Miss Irene always treated me as if I was one of her own and I always looked up to her as my own grandmother and dear friend, for she always had such a kind soul and a big heart towards me, she will always have a special place in mine.

Life has a mystifying way of working through the experiences and journey that we take. Miss Irene was there for me during my childhood and I have been fortunate enough to have shared these last few years near her to give back love and care as she provided me, bringing life full circle.

It is difficult, at best, to stand before you and attempt to share my fondness of her in words. It is never easy to capture someone in speech, as words frequently fall short of capturing someone's true essence. I am going to ask each of us gathered here to sit in silence for a moment and remember something about this woman who touched each of our lives in so many ways.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my story. Miss Irene, you have been a blessing to me and a beautiful role model to my mother and we will always be grateful to you. You are one of a kind and will be truly missed. Rest easy, till then.