The Passing of a Great Lady

Born in 1923 in the little town of North Kingsville, Ohio, and growing up in the Great Depression. Irene E. Stewart went to a little school where she knew everyone for all twelve years. She graduated Valedictorian in a class of 13 students. She then went on to the Ashtabula Business College, the first woman in her family to seek higher education.

Her first job was as a typist. Then she worked as a secretary for a firm of lawyers until the firm dissolved during WWII. She married John D. Callahan in 1945. They had two daughters, Diane E. (Callahan) Moore a costume designer and Kathleen A. (Callahan) Jordan an e-book author.

Irene landed a job with the New York Central Railroad in the 1940's. When it merged with the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1964, the Reclaimation Plant closed. From there she went to work for Union Carbide in their Linde` Division until she retired.

When the economy went south in the 1970's she bought and operated the Leeward Lounge. She married Roy L. Talbot in 1976. Irene and Roy Talbot were very active in the Harbor Restoration project and the Ashtabula County License Beverage Association, until they retired in 1988. They traveled in extensively an RV, where Irene began writing short stories. They finally settled in Kentucky in 2005 when they could no longer travel or battle the northeastern Ohio winters.

With the help and support of her daughters, Irene published several short stories on Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble under the name of I. C. Talbot. She was working on a collection of short stories at the time of her passing.

She will be remembered for her courage and common sense by all whose lives she touched.

She is survived by her husband, Roy L. Talbot, her daughters Diane and Kathleen, her grandsons Nevin & Carl and many other beloved members of her extended family.

She passed away on January 18th, 2012 of a sudden heart attack.