Alyce Arends of Clara City, died Thursday January 21, 2016 at the Chippewa County Montevideo Hospital at the age of 85.
Funeral services will be held Monday, January 25, 2016 at 1:30 PM at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Clara City with Rev. Mari Thorkelson officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Visitation will be held on Sunday, January 24, 2016 from 5-7 PM at Anderson-TeBeest Funeral Home in Montevideo and will continue one hour prior to services at the church.
Alyce June (Fokken) Arends was born on February 10, 1930 in rural Bunde, MN to Meindert and Johanna (Metlercamp) Fokken. She was baptized and attended Bunde Christian Reformed Church. She was later confirmed and became a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Clara City in 1948. Alyce attended grade school in Prinsburg and later went to Clara City High School.
On October 19, 1946 Alyce was married to George Arends. They lived for 63 years on the Arends Family Farm. Besides being a wife and mother Alyce held various jobs outside the home. She worked at VSC, S&L and Innovex. Alyce was also involved in many church activities including Bible study, Circle, Sunday School teaching and quilting. She enjoyed being a member of Homemaker Club and Maynard American Legion Auxiliary for many years. Her hobbies included cooking, baking, sewing, quilting and visiting with family and friends. She treasured her time spent with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and loved family get-togethers. In 2008 she moved to a house in Maynard, MN and then in 2013 moved to Prairie Park apartments in Clara City. Alyce’s family will remember her for her love of playing cards and bingo, her popcorn balls, her delicious Swedish meatballs, her wonderful sugar cookies and apple bars and her witty sense of humor.
Alyce is survived by her children: Mike (Sharon) Arends of Statesboro, GA, Brenda (Royal) Ashburn of Willmar, MN, Bev (Dale) Lighter of Minnetonka, MN, Beci (Chuck) Hinderks of Maynard, MN and Boni (Kent) Thompson of Moundville, MO; grandchildren: Alyson (Lighter) and Mark Steil and their children, Matthew and Elizabeth, Derich Arends, Alycia Ashburn and Andrew Genszler and their child , Brooke Alyce, Brandon and Nia Lighter and their children, Gracen and Tegan, Chauncy and Tracy Thompson and their children, Taylor, Royce and Alyce, Stephanie (Arends) and Bryan Neal and their children, Jack and Luke and Mike and Maggie Thompson and their child, Melanie. She is also survived by numerous nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.
Alyce was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, George in 1993; great-grandson, Nathaniel A. Ashburn-Genszler; two sisters and two brothers.