Irene Kroushinsky Blackwell

Irene Kroushinsky Blackwell went home to be with her Lord and Savior on October 9, 2021 at the age of 85. Irene will be honored with a private celebration service held at her daughter's home in Grand Prairie, Texas on Sunday, October 24th for family members. The service will be recorded and available for viewing on Facebook and White’s Funeral Home website the following week. Place of internment is Azleland Memorial Park, Reno, Texas. Irene was born on May 22, 1936 in New York City to Russian immigrant parents, Victor Eugene and Zenta Adalheid (Offenberg) Kroushinsky. She grew up in St. Albans Queens and often spoke fondly of riding subways, walking through Times Square, and strolling through Central Park. After graduating from Andrew Jackson High School, she attended Northeastern Bible Institute, in Essex Fells, New Jersey graduating in 1958. One of the most treasured highlights of her life during this time was being a counselor at the Billy Graham Crusade in 1957 at Madison Square Gardens. The crusade continued for an unprecedented 16 weeks. Night after night she prayed with people as they gave their lives to Christ. Irene married Frank Blackwell on December 26, 1959 and they soon moved to Texas to begin their family. She served faithfully along side her husband while he was Minister of Music in various Baptist Churches, with First Baptist Church Corsicana, Texas being his longest tenure from 1970 to 1984. She worked as a teacher’s aide in the public school system and she enjoyed substitute teaching until she was 84. All of her students adored her. Irene was a loving devoted mother, Mimi, and Gigi. She loved cooking, gardening, oil painting, sewing, and taking care of her family. Irene loved people and spent hours praying for them. She spoke Russian fluently and enjoyed having conversations with other Russian speaking people. Irene was a woman of noble character! She was a woman who feared the Lord! She had a quiet strength. She pressed through quietly and prayerfully when times were difficult. Her name means PEACE! Irene was gentle, beautiful, kind, loving, tender, peaceful, gracious, wise, fun, generous, encouraging, and godly. Our mother was deeply loved! She was beautiful and amazing! Irene was preceded in death by her parents, Victor and Zenta Kroushinsky; her husband, Frank Blackwell; and nephew, Kevin Kroushinsky. Survivors include two children: John Eric Blackwell and wife, Sharron, Lisa Cheatham and husband, Paul; five grandchildren, Courtney Wallace and husband, Ben, Sara Wende and husband, Joseph, Zach Cheatham and wife, Amanda, Jessica Jugan and husband, Matt, Benjamin Cheatham; four great-grandchildren,: Aiden Wallace, Kate Wallace, Ellie Wallace, and Graham Wende; one brother, Alex Kroushinsky and wife, Judy; and nephew: Douglas Kroushinsky.