Our Mother, Irene (Wilkins) Roth, passed away peacefully in Idaho Falls, Idaho, on Monday, October 7, 2024, having lived a long life of 94 years.

A Memorial Service will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, June 21, 2025, at Schriver’s Memorial Chapel, 414 Fifth Avenue NW in Aberdeen.

Irene was born on February 13, 1930, in Cresbard, South Dakota. She was the third child and the first girl born to Raymond Wilkins and Bertha Rawden. She grew up on the family farm with her two older brothers, Howard and Keith, and her three younger sisters, Enid, Ardell and Betty. Irene graduated from high school in Cresbard, South Dakota, in 1948. She first met Allen Roth at a barn dance where her father was a Traditional Square Dance caller when she was nine years old. They lived only a mile apart. She married Allen Roth on November 4, 1948, at the Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Aberdeen, South Dakota. Five children were fortunate to call them Mom and Dad: one daughter, Linda, and four boys, Curtis, Russell, Bruce, and Steven.

They tried farming for a few years but eventually lost the farm, so they found other work. Mom went to work for the Northwestern Bell Telephone company as a messenger operator and Dad found work at the International Harvester company. Dad later went to work at the John Deere store. When Dad’s store closed in 1965, they both transferred their jobs to Bismarck, North Dakota. Mom retired after 28 years from Northwestern Bell Telephone as an Employment Manager in 1984. Dad also retired in 1984 with John Deere.

Dad became a Modern Western Square Dance Caller, following in the footsteps of Mom’s father. The two of them danced and taught Square Dancing, Round Dancing, and Clogging for over 40 years.  Mom and Dad loved this adventure in life, teaching others to dance and making friends everywhere they went. This allowed them to take dozens of trips across the globe with their dancing friends.

After retiring from Northwestern Bell and John Deere, Mom and Dad became ‘snowbirds’ traveling back and forth in their motor home between the Dakota’s and Arizona, ‘depending on the weather.’ They eventually settled in Arizona and built a home in the golfing community of Sunland Village East in Mesa, Arizona. When Dad passed away down in Mesa on July 12, 2023, at a refined age of 94, Mom moved up to Idaho Falls and made her home at the assisted living center, Fairwinds-Sandcreek.

Irene’s Mom and Dad, brothers Howard and Keith, sisters Enid and Ardell, grandsons Robi and Evan, and Allen, her husband of 74 years, all preceded her in passing on to Heaven.

Irene is survived by Linda & Mike Ehreth (Otsego, Minnesota), Curtis & Melissa Roth (Ammon, Idaho), Russell & Carol Roth (Gillette, Wyoming), Bruce & Diane Roth (Northglenn, Colorado), and Steven Roth & Kathleen Devine (Tetonia, Idaho). She is also survived by her sister Betty & Russ Arendsee (Arlington, South Dakota). Together Mom and Dad created a family that included 16 grandchildren, 26 great grandchildren, and three great-great grandchildren.

Mom was a loving and caring person who worked hard no matter the task and didn’t mind getting her hands dirty. She loved and supported her children clear down the line to her great-great grandchildren.