Irene M. Briggs

Irene Margaret Ruble BriggsIrene M. Briggs went home to be with the Lord, Thursday, December 30, 2004, at 1:40 a.m. Irene passed away peacefully at Union Hospital in Dover, Ohio, with family and friends by her side. She was admitted to the hospital on Wednesday, December 29, 2004, with complications from a failing heart.Irene was born and raised in Powhatan Point, Ohio, along the Ohio River that she bravely swam across in her youth. She graduated from Powhatan Point High School in l942, and traveled with her husband, Virgil, to live in San Luis Obispo, CA; Dayton, Ohio; Uhrichsville, Ohio; and finally, New Philadelphia.Irene worked for the J.C. Penney Co. for over 26 years, and was a member of the Schoenbrunn Moravian Church for over 52 years, where she was very active in women’s fellowship and all church activities. Irene enjoyed traveling, baking, reading, painting and quilting, but most of all she enjoyed her family and friends. She shared her love of baking, china painting and quilting with gifts to family members, friends, and neighbors. She was well-known for her kindness and generosity.Irene was preceded in death by her husband of 46 years, Virgil Briggs, her parents, Daisy and Bernard Ruble, baby brother, John, baby sister, Frances, brother, Myron (Eileen) Ruble, brother, Dwaine (Katherine) Ruble, and sister Ruth (Bill) Stone.Irene is survived by daughters, Karen Holcomb of Cranberry Township, PA, and Deborah (Bruce) Davidson of Gallipolis, Ohio; son, Darrel (Elizabeth) Briggs of Gilbert, SC; brother, Roswell (Hazel) Ruble of Powhatan Point, Ohio; sisters Madelyn (Stanley) Pratt of Brownsville, TX, Bernadine (Paul) Lindsay of Dayton, Ohio, and Hilda (Leslie) Ferguson of Los Angeles, CA; brother-in-law, Bill Stone, of Franklin, OH; sister-in-law, Eileen Ruble of Newark, OH; and a great-aunt, Frances Bear. Grandchildren, Brian Davidson of Athens, Ohio, Jason (Melissa) Holcomb of Zelienople, PA, Matthew (Stacey) Davidson of Oak Hill, OH, Ashleigh Holcomb of Cranberry Township, PA, Jaime Davidson of Gallipolis, Ohio, Jennifer Briggs, Sarah Briggs, Samantha Briggs, and Beth Briggs, all of Gilbert, SC.Visitation will be on Sunday, January 2, 2005 from 1 to 3 and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Linn-Hert-Geib Funeral Home & Crematory in New Philadelphia. Services will be conducted by Rev. Sue Koenig on Monday, January 3, at 11:00 a.m. in the Geib Chapel. Following services, a reception will be held in the Geib Family Center, adjacent to the funeral home.The family requests that memorial contributions be made to a memorial fund at the Schoenbrunn Moravian Church, 2200 E. High Avenue, New Philadelphia, OH 44663.