May 12, 2003
Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Irene Rose Mann Rinehart died April 18 in
Madison, Wisc.
Rinehart, 86, born in Charlottesville, Va., received her
Ph.D. in English in 1942 from the University of Virginia. She then
taught at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La., and then at
the University of Montana, Missoula. On Dec. 20, 1947, she married
fellow faculty member Keith Rinehart.
In 1953, they moved to Ellensburg, where Keith taught at
Central Washington University until his retirement. Irene worked at
the Ellensburg Public Library and did some occasional teaching at
Central. She was active in civic groups including the League of Women
Voters and Friday Club.
In 1967, she won election to the Ellensburg City Council.
During her 16-year career on the council, she became known as a council
member who worked to protect downtown business, to have curbs, gutters
and sidewalks installed, to plant and maintain street trees, to acquire
land for city parks, to make the parks responsive to the desires of all
citizens, to enhance library services, and, later, to get an indoor
swimming pool for the city.
After being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, she left
Ellensburg in 1999 to move near to her daughter in Wisconsin, living
the remainder of her life in the Madison area.
Rinehart is survived by her daughter Ann (John) Sayles; her
son Kelley (Margo) Rinehart; and grandchildren Keith, Nat and Beth
Sayles, and Ben Rinehart.
The memorial service for Rinehart will be held Saturday, May
17, at 2:30 p.m. at the Ellensburg Christian and Missionary Alliance
Church, at 1407 North B St.
