Iris Magdeline (Budig) Meckel-Nyberg

IRIS MAGDELINE MECKEL-NYBERG, 88, left this earth to be with her Heavenly Father on June 15, 2020.

She was born on May 20, 1932 in Wadena County, Minnesota, to Anthony Bernard Budig and Lucy Elizabeth (Martin) Budig.  She grew up with five sisters and two brothers on a farm north of Wadena.  She had so many happy memories to share during these years.  She attended Country School #53 thru the 8th grade, then graduated high school in 1949.  After high school, she worked at Todd Wadena Electric Corp., until she married.  She married the love of her life, Paul Meckel, in 1951.  Iris and Paul were married for 40 years and were blessed with four children – two boys and two girls.  All of her children were born in Minnesota.  Thomas Paul (Dawne) Meckel, Paula Iris (Claus) White, Rita Rae (Randy) McMahan, and Tony James (Janet) Meckel.  She was blessed with 10 grandchildren and four step-grandchildren.  She had 15 great-grandchildren.

Iris and Paul and their children moved to California in 1958.  She was as stay-at-home mom until her children were all in school.  She went to work as an Engineers Aid for seven years and worked five years as a Secretary for a financial advisor.  She moved with Paul and her family to Idaho in 1976 and opened a gift shop called the Red Barn.  They lived in the house behind the Red Barn Gift Shop, which is now known as the Toll Station.  They sold the business in 1980 and retired.  Paul passed away in 1991.

In 1993, Iris married Tom Nyberg, who was a life-long friend of Paul and Iris.  They enjoyed their life together for 21 years, doing a lot of traveling.  They divided their time between Tom’s home in Wadena, MN and Iris’ home in McCall, ID.  Tom passed away in 2014.  At that time, Iris moved back permanently to her home in McCall, ID.

Through the years, Iris enjoyed sewing, crafts and playing cards (especially Bridge).  She enjoyed any family reunions with pot-luck dinners.  She also enjoyed going to dances.  After she retired, she truly enjoyed the many bible studies she was a member of.  In Minnesota she made so many friends at the bible studies, the Christian Women’s luncheons and the bridge clubs that she was active in.

The Lord was her very closest friend.  She stated if she hadn’t known Him, life would have been so much more difficult.  It was very important and a grave concern to her that all the family members knew the Lord as their savior.  God was so important to her that she could never miss Sunday service.

She was preceded in death by both of her husbands (Paul and Tom); her parents, Anthony Bernard and Lucy Budig; her sisters, Donna Kern and Jennie Uselman; her brother, Bernard Budig; and her grandson, Chad Hendrix.  She is survived by all four children; and her sisters, Cecelia Heltemes, Sister Rita Budig, Carol Tabery and brother David Budig and sisters-in-law Doris Budig and Vicky Budig.

Funeral services will be Saturday, June 27, 2020, at 1:00 p.m. at Elk Creek Celebration Center in McCall.  Family burial/graveside interment will follow in McCall Cemetery.

Online condolences may be left at www.mccallfunerals.com

Arrangements in care of McCall Funeral Home, McCall, Idaho.