Alice I. Macha, age 82, of Decorah, Iowa, died Friday evening, April 7, 2017 at her home in Decorah.
Funeral services were held at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 15, 2017 at First Lutheran Church in Decorah, with Rev. Chad Huebner officiating. Burial was in Hesper Public Cemetery in Hesper Township, rural Decorah.
Visitation was from 4-7 p.m. Friday, April 14 at Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah, and on Saturday beginning at 10 a.m., one hour before the service, at First Lutheran Church.
Fjelstul Funeral Home in Decorah served the family.
On April 19, 1934 at the concord of a rural Winneshiek county farm arose a happy chorus that accompanied the birth of Alice, the youngest child of Alfred and Remelia (Ramsey) Quam. From an early age, Alice was petite and quick of foot and her family took to fondly calling her “Toots” or “Tootsie.” That affectionate nickname not only stayed with her for the years that followed, but was the first of many steps that she would take down her adventurous path forged of enchanting music, spirited dancing, and the peace of mind that is only ever afforded to those in the company of true friends.
Growing up and attending school in Decorah, Alice held several part-time jobs. One such job found her managing the lunch counter of the old Sugar Bowl, charming the customers as a “soda jerk.” Another was working as a clerk for the F.W. Woolworth Variety Store. After graduation in 1952 from Decorah High School she was hired as a bookkeeper and clerical assistant at the L. C. Bolson Co. Her favorite hobbies were dancing and rollerskating, both which allowed for company of friends and to be surrounded by music, which she loved.
On August 9, 1953, Alice was united in marriage to Edwin A. (Eddie) Macha. Their individual notes joined in harmony, each finding something so special in the other that, just three days after their meeting at Matters Ballroom, Eddie proposed; after only a week of consideration Alice accepted. Alice and Eddie remained on the farm for two years before moving to Ames, Iowa, where they would spend the next four years as Eddie earned his B.S. Degree in Aerospace Engineering. Upon graduation in 1959, Alice and Eddie moved to Burbank, Calif., where they spent the next 30 years.
Alice is survived by her husband, Eddie of Decorah; two sons: Joseph of Jamestown, N.Y. and John of Clayton, Ohio; a daughter, Angela of La Crosse, Wis.; sisters-in-law Irene Kofoed of Pipestone, Minn., and Carol (Larry) Quillian of Washington, D.C.; and a bundle of nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents, four sisters: Gladys Olson, Ruby D’Olivera, Arlene Doubek and Marian Steele; and three brothers: Milford, Odin and Arthur (Bud) Quam.
Memorials may be directed to Winneshiek Medical Center Hospice, 901 Montgomery St., Decorah, Iowa 52101 or First Lutheran Church, 604 West Broadway, Decorah, Iowa 52101.
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