Alice Marie Oellien was born in Porter, MN, on February 26, 1914, to Thomas and Helen (Nelson) Husby. She was baptized and confirmed by Pastor O.P. Stensland at Porter Lutheran Church in Porter and attended the Porter Schools through the 8th grade. She worked as a hired girl for the Oellien family, where she met August Oellien. Alice and August were married by Pastor Henning at Zacheus Lutheran Church in Canby. They remained on the farm in Freeland Township north of Canby until 1947, when, because of health, they moved into Dawson. They lived near the school for 11 years and then in their home north of the soybean plant. After August died on May 27, 1964, Alice lived in her home until October of 1997, when she moved to Parkview Apartments in Dawson. In March of 1999, Alice entered Johnson Memorial Home, and remained there until her death on Saturday, August 26, 2000, at the age of 86.
She is survived by her daughter, Helen (Gerald) Brown of St. Louis Park; 7 grandchildren: Sue Ann (Arvin) Rustman of Lake Crystal, Steven (Dee) Benson of Canby, Michael (Karen) Brown of Plymouth, David Brown of Plymouth, Gloria (Todd) Allen of Lake Crystal, Stephen (Sue) Brown of Kailua-Kona, HI, and Timothy (Jennifer) Brown of Marian, IA; 7 great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren; sister, Gladys Bellows; other family and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, August Oellien; brother, Herbert Husby; step-daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth and Duane Benson; and great-grandson, Russell J. Brown.
Special to Alice was her music and poetry. Perhaps best known for her poetry, she was very happy when her poem "Yesterday's Dreams" was published in the 1993 Volume Whispers In The Wind by the National Library of Poetry.