Passed Away on April 1, 2017. Age 76 of Inver Grove Heights
Beloved Wife, Mother, Grandmother and Great-Grandmother passed away April 1, 2017, in St. Paul, surrounded by her family and friends.
On July 17, 1941, Dorothy was born to Howard and Dorothy Irwin in Lansing Township, Minnesota. She attended St. John’s Lutheran School. On September 23, 1960, she married Ronald Longacre of Kalispell, Montana. To this union they were blessed with 3 children, 10 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren.
Tina’s first love is the Lord; she really enjoyed serving Him in a variety of ways at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. She has a group of girlfriends that her family likes to call the “Church Ladies”. She’s been a part of this congregation for many years, and knew the blessings of friendship, encouragement and prayer that she found there.
Her true “life’s work” she said, was being a wife and mother. Something she took very seriously. She loved fiercely, fought hard and never gave up on anyone. She attended anything and everything that any one of her children, grandchildren or great-grandchildren was part of. She was the grandma that actually wore the buttons with the child posing with the baseball bat! Family was so important to her. She “mothered “more than her own, she “mothered” anyone who needed it, whether you wanted it or not!
Tina worked as the lunch lady at East St. Paul Lutheran School for many years. She ministered in sort, where she taught teams of children about serving others and keeping a tidy kitchen. Everyone loved being on the kitchen crew with her, she was a blast, you got out of class and there was sure to be an extra dessert with your name on it.
Tina loved to dance and sing, bake cookies for people she loved, and play the accordion. She could roller skate and two-step at the same time. She participated in life and invited people along for the ride.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Howard and Dorothy Irwin; her husband, Ronald Longacre; her sisters, Jean Ann and Catherine Irwin and Terry Gray; her brothers, Lesley and Charles Irwin; her great-granddaughter Madison Longacre.
Survivors include:; her children, Shawn (Michelle) Longacre, Rhonda (Tom) Hillstrom, and Patty (Carl) Fitzsimmons; her grandchildren, Jennifer Longacre (Drew), Travis (Holly) Longacre, Amanda Haas (Nick), Jessica Richards, Meaghan Hable, Nichole Longacre (Josh), Zachary Hillstrom, Nathan Gobely, Quinlyn and Noah Fitzsimmons; her great-grandchildren, Cheyanne, Akira, Hannah, Chloe, Jenna, Emma, Darrin, Blake, Reese, Kinsley and Lennyn; her siblings, Pat Hull, Kay Buege, Gary, Hugh, Mike and Don Irwin her dear friend and roommate, Paula Amundson; many nieces and nephews and many other relatives and friends.
Funeral Service 10:30am Friday, April 7, visitation 1 hr. prior, Our Saviors’ Lutheran Church, 674 Johnson Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55106. Interment will be at Fort Snelling National Cemetery.