Irene Bristol Yager

Irene K. Bristol Yager passed away after a brief illness on June 3, 2024. She was born at her childhood home in Hicksville, New York. She took care of her 9 siblings while her parents worked. The family bought a farm when she was 14 and moved to Coventry, New York where Irene continued to look after her siblings as well as work on the family farm. After moving off the farm, Irene worked various jobs on Long Island, including retail and childcare. She also honed her skills as a seamstress during this time. She married Daniel C. Bristol Jr. on May 5, 1957. After she and Dan were married, they moved to Long Island and bought a home in Levittown. They spent 10 years together before having children. Dan loved Irene. He was an avid photographer and took many photos and stills of Irene during their marriage. Dan always helped Irene with her coat or jacket. They would always hold her hands even while watching television in the evenings. She worked at May’s Department Store in Levittown until she became pregnant.  After Eugenia was born, they moved back to the upstate area.   She spent most of her time as a stay-at-home wife and mother after the move, but she also worked at and managed The Busy Bea in Bainbridge for a brief time. Dan passed away when Irene was in her 40s. Although she remarried twice, she always said that nothing came close to the love she and Dan shared.

She supported her children’s musical endeavors and rarely missed concerts or marching band events while the kids were in school. Irene was an enormous baker and was known to make upwards of 100 dozen cookies around the holidays. She always sewed and even made most of her children’s clothes. Irene even made all the prom dresses for Eugenia while she was in school. She loved to cook homemade foods, especially Polish dishes like pierogies and galumpki (hlopki).

Irene loved listening to Polka music and would hum along to every church hymn she knew. She sang in the church choir and was part of a chamber singers’ group. She was a devout Christian and would say her prayers and read her Bible passages daily. She loved sewing, knitting, crocheting and just enjoyed making things. She even knitted her cat her own blanket. She also loved tending to houseplants and was skilled in keeping violets and orchids alive for years. In her younger years, she painted and participated in crafting ceramics. In recent years, Irene started to connect more with her extended family through social media and played Mah Jong and word games on her phone almost daily.

Being a grandparent was the highlight of Irene’s life. She loved to babysit her grandchildren when they were younger and spent many hours clipping coupons with them from the newspaper or encouraging them to play with toys she kept from when her own children were young. Playing card games and board games was a particularly fun activity for Irene and her grandchildren. She taught them games like Sequence, pitch, rummy and Uno.  Irene was proud to tell anyone who would listen all about her grandkids and their successes and achievements. She gushed whenever talking about Christina’s career as a nurse or James’ career as a teacher. She bonded with Bethany who has special needs and would call her “Nana’s Girl” often. She loved just talking to and about Bethany and spending time with her. Irene was so proud when Danny graduated high school and started college. When she met James’ fiancée, MacKenzie for the first time, she just adored her and immediately called her “granddaughter”.

Irene lovingly teased those she cared about and would be quick to fire back when she was teased in return. Although she was religious, she also would drop a perfectly timed swear word into a conversation, particularly when playing games with her family. It would always light the whole room up with laughter. Irene passed on her love of cooking and baking to her kids and grandkids, especially her beloved cookies and Polish home cooking. She showed her grandchildren how to care for indoor plants. She is a big reason behind the family’s continued love of board and card games.

She was predeceased by her infant siblings Barbara and Stanley, siblings Kathleen, Bernadette, William, Frank, and Henry. She is also predeceased by her loving husband Dan, many dear aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors.

Irene is survived by her daughter Eugenia Faughnan and her husband James Sr, son Daniel Bristol and his wife Eileen, her grandchildren Christina, James Jr. and MacKenzie, Bethany, and Daniel Faughnan and her step-grandchildren Allison and Matt Drazek. She is also survived by her remaining siblings, Helen Boudreau, Howard Wicks Jr. and wife, Marilyn, Joan Lockwood and husband, Donnie and Harold Wicks and spouse, Brenda, special cousin Roland Wenner as well as by many cousins, nieces and nephews and her beloved pets, especially her cat, Victoria.

At her request no formal services are planned at this time. To forward condolences please visit www.demunn.com.In lieu of flowers, please donate in her name to The Broome County Humane Society. Arrangements for the family are directed by the DeMunn Funeral Home.