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Irene Messnick

March 19th, 2004

Milwaukee Public Schools secretary Irene Messnick (nee Bernstein) of Glendale died Feb. 25. She was 73.

A Milwaukee native, she graduated from North Division High School. She belonged to Congregation Shalom and was a member of the Yiddish Club that met there and of the synagogue’s women’s chorus.

She served as a volunteer at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin cancer ward. She was an avid collector of giraffe items, “everything from statuettes, pins, teapots, jewelry, you name it,” said her daughter, Wendy (Marc) Cohen of Glendale.

She also “loved all kinds of music and to bring it into others’ lives,” and “loved to sing and to dance, and she taught us all the love of music,” said Cohen.

She also is survived by daughter Lori (Elliott) Sogol of Chapel Hill, N.C.; son Richard (Ruth) Messnick of Milwaukee; and five grandchildren. Her husband, Herman Messnick, preceded her in death in 2000.

Rabbi Shari Shamah officiated at the funeral. Burial was in Second Home Cemetery.
Memorial contributions to Children’s Hospital or Congregation Shalom would be appreciated by the family.