Ilene Mae Callstrom

Ilene Mae (Sheely) Callstrom, 96, passed away on May 25. Ilene was born on March 27, 1927, in Fairmont, Minnesota. After graduating from high school, Ilene moved to Minneapolis where she graduated from the Minneapolis Business College. That is also where she met her future husband, Wilfred Callstrom. Ilene and Will were married on January 11, 1947. They had three daughters, Sherbette, Joyce, and Linda and one son, Randy. The family has many memories of vacations spent camping in northern Minnesota before moving to Kansas City in 1965.

Ilene was a trailblazer as a working mom. She worked for over 40 years as an accountant, retiring as the Director of Reimbursement at Research Medical Center. Completing one of the first Medicare reports in the state of Missouri was one of her proudest accomplishments. But her family was the joy of her life. Ilene was so proud of them and loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren and enjoyed returning to Minnesota for family reunions and being with her siblings and many nephews and nieces. 

Ilene was known for her intelligence, quick wit, and her deadpan sarcastic sense of humor which she maintained until her dying days. But it was her amazing unconditional love for everyone that inspired others. She loved puzzles, volunteering at the What Not Shop, traveling the world and became an avid Royals, Chiefs, and Jayhawk fan. During COVID, she became an avid reader, having read over 250 books during the pandemic. 

Ilene was always an optimist and was thankful for the many blessings in her life. In return, she blessed so many in their lives. 

Ilene was preceded in death by her husband, Wilfred, who passed away in 2014 and two great-grandchildren. She is survived by her children Sherbette (Gilbert), Joyce (Ken), Linda (Jay) and Randy (Beth), thirteen grandchildren, thirty-one great-grandchildren, and two great great-grandchildren. 

Visitation will be at 9AM, with services to follow at 10AM, Friday, June 2, 2023, at Park Lawn Funeral Home, 8251 Hillcrest Rd., Kansas City, Missouri with a burial in Green Lawn Cemetery.