Irvin Soule

Irvin Rockne Soule, 85, of Sioux City and formerly of Bismarck, ND, passed away July 9, 2024, at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s in Sioux City.

Services will be noon Friday, July 19, at St. Peters Catholic Church in Jefferson, SD. Visitation will be one hour before the service at the church. Burial with military rites will be at St. Peters Catholic Church Cemetery in Jefferson, SD. A luncheon will be served after the burial. Arrangements are under the direction of Meyer Brothers Funeral Home in Sioux City.

Irvin was born April 25, 1939, in Linton, ND, to Howard and Matilda Soule. He was the second oldest of seven boys. He went to school at Bismarck High School in Bismarck, ND. Irvin served in the U.S. Air Force 1957-60 as a radar repairman stationed in Sioux City where he met his future bride, Annette Lambert of Jefferson, SD. He and Annette were married July 22, 1961, and to this union Teres, Debbie, Mark and Don were born.

He graduated in 1973 from Morningside College in Sioux City with a business administration degree though that was not the end of his learning. He began working at Prince Manufacturing in Sioux City in August 1960, as a shop worker and machinist and eventually a tool designer until his retirement in 2007.

He was a voracious reader and remembered every book he ever read. He especially liked old science fiction books. He collected all sorts of magazines including National Geographic, Life, Popular Mechanics and also old books. Give him a subject and he would talk to you in detail about it. He never threw anything away and wrote detailed notes on everything as his family can attest to.

Activities he was involved in were golfing, bowling and also a member of the Soo Bowman Archery Club to which he won many competitions.

Irvin got the gardening bug from his mom, Matilda, who had beautiful gardens. He had flowers all around the house and a vegetable garden on the steep hill behind their house until he couldn't climb up the hill anymore.

He tinkered with things and would always get them working and also welcomed all new challenges. This was evident ever since he was a child. He made several Soap Box Derby race cars at about 10 years old. Through Prince Hydraulics he was a member of the Jaycees an organization that helped coordinate Soap Box Derby races down Pierce Street in Sioux City in the early 70's. As a teenager he restored a 1926 Model-T automobile and drove it to school even though it only went 25 miles per hour. Irvin was a model airplane enthusiast too building the gas-powered airplanes and then flying them in a club. 

Music was a passion of his and he attended the Sioux City Municipal Band summer performances at the Grandview Park Bandshell every year. One of his hobbies was collecting old phonographs. He would buy them and get them working then would listen to the hundreds of records that he had. After he moved to Sunrise Retirement Community, he donated them all to Dordt University in Sioux Center. Even after he got very ill, he would still attend the musical programs at the nursing home singing along to the songs.

Irvin and Annette were members of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Sioux City, attending weekly. When they were unable to attend in person, they would watch services on Facebook.

He is survived by his wife, Annette, married two weeks shy of 63 years; four children, Teres Jensen of Malvern, Debbie (Kevin) Nibbelink of Sioux Center, Mark (Micki) Soule of Bronson, Don (Rhonda) Soule of Sioux City; grandchildren: Shalyn (James) Strehlow of Sioux City and their children Sophie, Bodie, and Caleb; Holli (Mikel) Columbus of Davenport and their children, Ryker and Arya; Sean (Katie) Murphy of Moville and their children, Brody, Kohan and Konrad; Tanner Murphy of Kingsley; Taylor Soule and Brooklyn Topf of Salix; Ted (Danielle) Jensen of Fort Madison; Tabitha (Marcus) Parker of Glenwood and their child, Zelda; Ben Jensen and Elliott Jensen of Malvern; brothers: Roger (Marion-she passed away July 11) Soule of Inver Grove Heights, MN, Willis Soule of Columbia, SC, Loren and Jeannie Soule of Bismarck, ND and Kevin and Christine Soule of Bismarck, ND; sisters-in-law: Muriel Soule of Mandan, ND, Connie Soule of Lexington, SC and Kay (Steve) Econ of Sioux City; brother-in-law, Jim (Dorothy) Lambert of Sioux Falls, SD, many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; brothers, Virgil (Judy) Soule and Franklin Soule; son-in-law, Barry Jensen; and nephew, Anton "Tony" Soule.