May M. Ireland, 97 of Indiana, died at Indiana Regional Medical Center on April 7, 2017. A daughter of the late John and Jenny (Kidd) Ireland, she was born in 1920 in Dundee, Scotland.
She was a member of Graystone Presbyterian Church. She was baptized and grew up in the Presbyterian faith (Scotland is the home of Presbyterianism) before coming to the United States at age 9. She has served the church as a Sunday school teacher, elder, and Superintendent of Sunday School. She also served as the third female moderator of Northumberland Presbytery and attended the 200th General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church.
Miss Ireland graduated from Altoona High School and Muskingum College in Ohio and taught in Altoona, Pittsburgh, and Lock Haven where she was a member of the staff at Lock Haven University for 17 years. She had two teaching assignements abroad. One was in Paris and Egypt working with UNESCO on Fundamental Education. The other, an appointment as a Fulbright Scholar which took her to Peshawar, Pakistan, where she taught at the Frontier College for Women. On her way around the world to get there, she visited many countries and was able to meet with some of her former students.
In addition to her parents, she was preceded in death by her twin brothers – Alexander of Rochester, NY and Graham and Mary-Louise Ireland of New Wilmington, PA. She is survived by numerous nieces and nephews, including Gail, Sandra, Dawn (Heiko) Ireland-Monsees, Lisa (Marc) Whitt, Scott (Cindy) Ireland, Chad (Vickie) Ireland. For many years, she served on the board of Presbyterians for Senior Living before moving to St. Andrew’s Village. Since then, she has been active serving as President of the Auxiliary and President of the Independent Living Court at St. Andrews.
Family visitation will be private. Interment will follow and be private at the Alto-Reste Park Cemetery in Altoona. Friends and family are invited to a “Celebration of Life” service at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 13th, 2017, at St. Andrew’s Court in the Bristol Court Dining area, with Reverend Richard Hurley officiating.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Andrew’s Village, 1155 Indian Springs Road, Indiana, PA 15701.
