Lila Irene Canosa

Canosa, Lila Irene, 92, born November 17, 1932, in Bainville, MT, died October 22, 2024, in Candler, NC. The daughter of Russian immigrant farmers Carl and Mary Misenko, Irene was the youngest of eight children. Her parents, while living in Kiev, Russia, began reading the Bible secretly with a neighbor, ultimately becoming Sabbath keepers despite religious persecution. Fleeing under threat of imprisonment, the family endured a dangerous escape journey through Europe, temporary imprisonment by Soviet authorities, and eventual resettlement in Canada before homesteading in Montana. Irene learned English after starting school and remained fluent in both English and Russian throughout her life. She earned a nursing degree from Fletcher School of Nursing and later married Louis Canosa in 1955. They shared 65 years of marriage. Irene was known for her deep faith and lifelong commitment to her beliefs. She is survived by her daughters, Carole Canosa and Elizabeth Canosa-Maize; grandsons, Joel Sholtes (Kari), David Sholtes, and Jesse Maize; and great-grandchildren, Penny, Saul, Naomi, and Samuel Sholtes, and Dalton Maize.