Ilene Frances Forde

You may click the link below to view a recording of the service. The recording jumps to the 8 minute mark  of the service, Please scroll the recording backwards to view from the beginning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1LMBGunJgY&t=496s

Ilene Frances Forde, of Plymouth, died on December 19, 2022, at age 96. Ilene Frances Knutson was born in Brooten, Minnesota on January 16, 1926. She attended country school District 73, graduated from Brooten High School in 1942 and from Luther College, Decorah, Iowa in 1946. After teaching for two years, she served as a parish worker in McIntosh, Minnesota and St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church in St. Paul, Minnesota. In 1956, she became the director of Christian Education at Plymouth Youth Center in Minneapolis. Ilene married Luther Forde in 1957.

They had three children, John (Catherine) of St. Paul, James (Sandra) of Maple Grove, and Martha (Paul) Nesheim of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Luther and Ilene were married 63 years and lived all those years except one, in Plymouth. She was preceded in death by her parents, Olaf and Alma Knutson; her husband, Luther, and her daughter, Martha. She is survived by her two sons, John and Jim; her son-in-law, Paul Nesheim, Larry (Gwen) Knutson; grandchildren, Kara Forde, Luther and Linnea Nesheim, Steven (Stacy) Willson, and great-grandchildren, Cora, Nolan, and Freya Willson. Kris and Erik Knutson, Kate Prentice together with many cousins and a host of friends.

Memorial service for Ilene will be held at 11 AM Monday, January 16, 2023, at Peace Lutheran Church 3695 Co. Rd. 101 N. Plymouth, 55446. Visitation 1 hr. prior to service at church. Following the service will be a time of conversation and lunch. Interment will take place in South West Prairie, Wisconsin at a later date.

Memorials may be given to Peace Lutheran Church, Luther College, or donor’s choice.