Irene Hales Drasso

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September 22, 2020

Our family moved from Whittier to La Mirada in 1972. Mom would say that when we were new at church, no one knew who Lori, John and I belonged to because we looked nothing like her.

It wasn't long before she was driving carpools of church kids around... moreOur family moved from Whittier to La Mirada in 1972. Mom would say that when we were new at church, no one knew who Lori, John and I belonged to because we looked nothing like her.

It wasn't long before she was driving carpools of church kids around going to primary or mutual. This was before any seatbelt laws so it was pretty much pack 'em and stack em! Being the youngest, I always wound up in the very back of the car which would have been fine if it was a station wagon but we didn't own a station wagon. We had Mustangs. Mom was driving a '68 "fast back", (later, John's hot rod). That car had a little cubby in the back...come to find out, you can fit 3 Primary kids back there!

Mom enjoyed her church callings working with the teenagers, (she had some favorites) and later on as Primary Pianist. That was her calling when my oldest son, Trevor started Primary. She always made sure he knew the words to the songs and kept her eye on him!

She learned to play piano when she was young. Her mother made her take lessons because her older sister Mary Lee needed someone to accompany her. They would travel the Los Angeles area together by bus for Mary Lee's singing engagements.

She always said she could read the notes but she didn't have any rhythm. This became apparent years later when Rod Stewart had his hit, Do You Think I'm Sexy?
Often when my friends would come to the house she would dance and sing that song.
When that era was over, we taught her how to slam dance. Looking back, she was a pretty good sport. I highly doubt there were other Sisters from church entertaining family and friends by trying to start a mosh pit!

Growing up, Mom would often have her quilting frames set up in the living room. If the quilt was going to be a wedding present, (King, or Queen size), that meant you had a fort to play in for a couple of days. Baby quilts would give you an afternoon in the fort. Our living room had many, many afternoon forts! When she was living in San Juan Capistrano her quilt making reached a new level. She started making baby quilts for humanitarian purposes. Mom's quilts have been donated by the dozens to other countries and continents. When she was 79, she set a goal for herself, she wanted to make 52 quilts that year. At the time she wasn't sure how long she would be able to keep making them, so she wanted to go out with a bang and she did it! When Mom moved to Victorville in 2017 she connected with LaVonne Hulterstrom and continued to help make humanitarian baby quilts, "as long as someone else would sew the edges." I don't think Mom would have been as involved with the making of baby quilts if she didn't have so much love for the little recipients that would ultimately be wrapped up in them.

Mom loved babies, any babies, but especially her grandbabies and great-grandbabies! She absolutely loved to tell people how many she had, (and only from 3 children!) 15 grandkids and come December, 35 great-grandkids!

We have a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother who was told by her Dr.'s treating her for Rheumatic Fever when she was 11-13, that she wouldn't live long enough to raise a family. English/Swedish pioneer stock proved them wrong!

Irene Hales Drasso, you will continue to live on the hearts of your many, many offspring!

Good night, Irene. May we see you in our dreams... less

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September 21, 2020

When we were young, Mom would ask us every summer how we would like to use the amount of money she had saved. We usually were given the choice of going to Sea World once, or the beach several times each week. Being the beach lovers that we were, we... more

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Jeannette Ichikawa reacted on this.

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September 20, 2020

We love you so much Aunt Irene! You have always been there for our family in more ways than we can say. Ivan would never have gotten his degree if you wouldn't have sent him back to the library when he was ready to give up on calculus! (In reality, that... more

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Lori Drasso Roberts and Jeannette Ichikawa reacted on this.

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September 19, 2020 · via iPhone

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September 19, 2020 · via mobile

Yesterday our family gained an Angel. Bam meant so much to us and it was difficult not being able to visit her due to Covid19. I know she's watching over us and I can still feel her warm hugs and smiles. She would always bring out small trinkets, books... more