Irwin James Vande Griend and his identical twin brother Ivan Peter were born to Jacob and Anna (Zwagerman) Vande Griend on December 10, 1928 near Hull, Iowa.  In 1946, Irwin graduated from Western Christian High School in Hull.  He was united in marriage to Irene Leusink on January 25, 1951 at the First Reformed Church in Hull.  He served in the United States Army from June of 1951 to June of 1953 during the Korean War and was stationed in Fort Bliss, Texas and spent five months in Germany as well.  After his honorable discharge, he and Irene started farming north of Hull.  In March of 1971, Irwin and Irene purchased a farm and moved to Edgerton, Minnesota.  After 35 years of marriage, Irene passed away on September 20, 1986.  On March 30, 1990, Irwin married Eleanor Mae (Van Zee) Wolfswinkel in Paradise Valley, Arizona.  During the next 24 years, the two spent much of their time visiting friends and family in both Minnesota and Arizona.  In the spring of 1993, the couple moved into town but Irwin continued to farm until he semi-retired in 2005.  Mae passed away on January 24, 2014.  Irwin continued to drive tractor and farm with his son, Leon, near Edgerton, even driving tractor this last fall at harvest-time.  On March 13, 2015 he entered the Sanford Luverne Hospice Cottage in Luverne, Minnesota where he died peacefully on Wednesday, April 8, 2015 at the age of 86 years, three months, and 29 days. 

Irwin was a member of Bethel Christian Reformed Church in Edgerton where he was a deacon and an elder.  He also attended Marinatha Community Christian Reformed Church in Mesa, Arizona and was active there as well.  Irwin was instrumental in forming the Rural Water Board and was a member for many years.  During his free time, he enjoyed bowling, golfing (he had two hole-in-one’s), doing cross word puzzles, and working on Sudoku puzzles.

Irwin is survived by five children, Brenda (Jerry) Stoebner of Tripp, South Dakota, Leon (Glenda) Vande Griend of Edgerton, Fonda (Rod) Broekhuis of Eden Prairie, Minnesota, Karen (Robert) Just of Tripp, and Karla (Craig) Vanden Bosch of Madison, South Dakota; four step children, Kathy (John) Aleman of Gilbert, Arizona, Sherry Dorris of Phoenix, Arizona, David (Tracy) Wolfswinkel of Tempe, Arizona, and Penny (Keno) Hawker of Gilbert; fourteen grandchildren; four step-grandchildren; eighteen great-grandchildren; and three step great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his twin brother, Ivan (who died in a drowning accident at age 13, which had a great effect on Irwin for the rest of his life); his brother, Bernie; his parents, Jacob and Anna; his first wife, Irene in 1986; and his wife, Mae in January of 2014. 

Contributions given in memory of Irwin will be given to the Avera Breast Cancer Awareness program at www.Avera.org/McKennan/think-pink/ or mail to Avera Foundation, Plaza 4, 1325 S. Cliff Avenue, Sioux Falls, SD 57117 in support of his daughter and granddaughter.