March 19, 2008  

LOWVILLE, N.Y.  —  Irene I. Hamblen, 97, of 5590 River St., and formerly of Watertown, died Tuesday evening, March 18, at Lewis County General Hospital. 

The funeral will be at 9:30 a.m. Friday, March 21, at Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc., 5702 Waters Road, Lowville, with Rev. Bruce W. Chapman, retired Methodist minister, officiating. Burial will be in Brookside Cemetery, Watertown. Calling hours are 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 20, at the funeral home.  

Contributions may be made to Lewis County Search and Rescue, West State Street, Lowville, N.Y. 13367. 

Born July 28, 1910, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, a daughter of the late William and Agnes Mills Boon, she attended school in Canada.  

She married Eric Johnson Hamblen on Nov. 24, 1926, in Rochester.  He died in May 3, 1968.  

She was a homemaker all of her life.  

Surviving are a son, William E. Hamblen, Chesapeake Bay, Va.; five daughters, Irene Hare of Chaumont; Beverly LaJuett, Huntersville, N.C., Georgia and her husband Charles “Hank” Hall, Carthage, Carol Montressor, Parish, Sharon and her husband Donald Rockwood, Lowville; 25 grandchildren, 33 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren and a niece.  

She is predeceased by a son Melvin Eric Hamblen, who died on June 3, 2002; a grandson, two great-grandsons and three great-granddaughters, and a sister, Kaye Zahn. 

She enjoyed playing bingo with her friends at Valley View Courts.      

Information provided by Iseneker Funeral Home, Inc. of Lowville and Newzjunky, Watertown, N.Y.