About the Founder
Edgemont Women's Club: Founding Member
Irene A. Kendall
Irene Asma Bashara (Kendall) was born the fifth in line of six children born to Kahlil (Charles, in English) Ayoub Khoury Bashara and Deatha (pronounced Dee-tha) Ann Bolin Bashara on March 19th, 1920 in Norman, Oklahoma. She had two older sisters, Mary Pearl, Ollie Naomie, two older brothers Karl Ayoub and Ellis Kahlil, and her younger brother Mansour Joseph or MJ as he was called. Irene took “care” of MJ growing up. He had been extremely ill when he was a toddler and Irene became very protective of MJ. Irene fought a “battle or two” in defense of her little brother in Norman. Her father, an immigrant from Lebanon, was a stonemason by trade, and owned a general store in Norman and worked a farm outside of the city of Norman. As exists today, there was prejudice against “foreigners” and her father was murdered out in his field; Irene was 10 years old. Life during her teens was very hard; it was the depression and her mother was a single parent.
Irene graduated from Norman High School. She started working instead of going to college. Irene worked for a young couple caring for their little boy while they went to college and later worked at CR Anthony’s department store as the bookkeeper in Norman. During this time, her older sister, Mary was in Imperial Valley, CA., teaching school. Mary dared her brother-in-law, Joe Kendall, to write to her little sister, Irene. Joe bet Mary that Irene wouldn’t write him back, Joe lost the bet; Irene wrote back! Thus, started their courtship! Irene moved to California, and three months later, Joe and Irene were married on Dec. 14th, 1941. Side note: They WERE to be married on Dec. 7th, 1941, but their wedding was postponed a week, wonder why? They lived in San Diego during WWII as Joe worked for Consolidated Aircraft in the wing section of production on B-24’s for the war. Because of his innovative mechanical abilities, he was transferred to another department to develop faster and new methods of production on the B-24’s. He kept on receiving deferments. Luck ran out and Joe was drafted, but declared 4-F because of his severe sinus problems. By this time, they had their first child, a son, Charles. Joe had given up his job in San Diego and sought a better climate for his health.
Irene and Joe moved to Edgemont in July, 1945. He found a Beacon Gas Station to rent on then Hwy. 395 and they opened Kendall’s Service. Joe worked as the gas jockey and auto mechanic, and Irene kept the books. Both Irene and Joe came from impoverished childhoods and backgrounds, so they knew how to work hard. They did exactly that and gave back to their community. They bought property in the area, and bought government barracks and latrines, converted them into apartments for rental income, and kept one for their home. Irene wasn’t idle in this, she was right in there plastering, tiling, hammering, fixing toilets, cabinets, windows, water lines, painting, and feeding Joe and the kids. By this time there were three, Charles, Nancy and Karla. In 1958, Joe and Irene built Kendall’s Automotive Service on Alessandro Blvd. in Edgemont. Irene managed, repaired the apartments and rental houses they owned, and she also took Joe lunch every day, Monday through Saturday, until his retirement.
The small rural community needed Irene Kendall. She helped start the Edgemont Women’s Club to assist women with cooking. The building came about because of her. She and few other brave women took out a “loan” ($5.00/mo.) to buy and move the building to where it sits today on Cottonwood Ave. to serve the community at large and have a place to meet. The Edgemont Women’s Club has always been a place of community gatherings throughout the years for Rotarians, Water Board Meetings, Art Assoc. meetings and of course, meetings for the Edgemont Women’s Club. Irene was always involved in community organizations, PTA, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, Election Boards, Historical Society, Art Association, and Edgemont Baptist Church, which is now Liberty Baptist Church. Irene’s life has always been about community. Irene was kind, loving, generous, and strong. She truly believed in people, any person could improve, regardless of circumstances, if they truly had the desire to work hard. No one knew this better than Irene Asma Bashara Kendall.