Alice Clara Gjerde
November 2, 1907 - April 11, 2006
Obituary
Alice Clara Gjerde passed away peacefully April 11, 2006 at the age of 98 years, 5 months and 9 days. She had returned to the Judson Park Health Center following a recent hospitalization and brief illness.
She was born November 2, 1907 at Grenville, South Dakota to Knut O. and Amelia Teigen being the fourth of nine children. Her girlhood years were spent in rural South Dakota. She attended Canton Lutheran Normal and graduated from high school in Webster, South Dakota. She also attended Augsburg College in Minneapolis, MN. She taught school in South Dakota where she met her husband of 42 years, Manly S. Gjerde. They were married on July 31, 1932. To this union were born two children, Audrey Bill Bowers of Des Moines, WA, and Kenneth Patricia of Fairfield, MT who survive along with six grandchildren David, Diane, Dwight, Dean, Stephen and Paul, and 14 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her youngest sister Christine William Hohneck of Sun City, AZ.
Alice was a faithful partner in 40 years of ministry with her husband serving Lutheran Congregations in Forrestberg, Alberta Canada, Barronet, Wisconsin, Portland, North Dakota, Tacoma, Washington, and Woodburn, Oregon. They retired to Senior estates in Woodburn and following his death in 1973 she took up golf and with her competitive spirit and joy for the game she played proficiently until she was 90 years old. Having been a schoolgirl basketball player she was first an avid fan of the Portland Trailblazers and with her move in 1997 to Federal Way, WA she became a Seattle Sonics fan. She enjoyed vegetable and flower gardening and was an excellent cook, baker, seamstress, and homemaker. She enjoyed camping and hiking with her husband and found new joys in travel both in the US and abroad.
Her membership in Christ Lutheran Church in Federal Way was crowning testimony of her lifetime Christian faith and service that included choir, service groups, Sunday School and leadership positions. Her life skills, attitude and heart sternly shaped by the lean years and Great Depression on the South Dakota prairie, were passed on as an inspiration to her family.
We still use Alice’s lefse recipie. She came to our home in Woodburn years ago, and helped my wife and I, and another couple, tune up our lefse-making skills. I never knew anyone who could roll it out as thinly! She and Manly were good friends to my parents, Glen and Florence Ahre. I’ll remember her fondly.
Ted Ahre, Woodburn, Oregon
Even though I never had the oppurtunity to see Alice in her prime, I see her influence in her children Ken and Audrey, grandchild Diane, and great-grandchild Christy, who is my wonderful girlfriend. The more I get to know Christy’s family, I appreciate their rich family hertiage, which Alice was a big part in creating. I can’t wait to meet her someday in heaven in her full glory!
This time is always difficult, but knowing that she is now with her Lord helps us with
our sorrow and loss.
We are saddened to hear this news about Aunt Alice. We have many fond memories of Alice. We think back to only a few years ago when she was able to be with many of her nephews and neices in Minnapolis for a family reunion.
Our prayers are with you at this time.
Arne & Judy
Alice will always be in our hearts as a wonderful Grandmother and Great-grandmother. We treasure the times we spent together. Our girls love to retell the camping stories of Daddy’s time at Glacier Park as a little boy.
Grandma’s influence in all of our lives is greatly felt and will continue though she no longer walks with us on this earth.
Our prayers and sympathies are with you this week.