Alice Leese

Alice Bernice Lucille (Ramberg) Leese was born on August 8, 1918, on a farm in Nordland Township, to Ole and Julia (Hanson) Ramberg. She grew up and attended country school near Minneota. On November 3, 1939, she was united in marriage to Otto Leese at Hope Lutheran Church. The couple farmed South of Minneota until moving to Minneapolis in 1961. Alice did custodial duties in Minneapolis downtown offices for a few years until she took a job as a nutritional aide with the Minneapolis School System. She worked with the school system until her retirement in 1990. Alice moved back to Minneota in 2008, where she lived with her daughter Betty Prellwitz, until she moved to the Minneota Manor in September 2011. Mom enjoyed crocheting and cooking, especially baking bread and making lefsa. Mom was very proud of her driving record with no traffic tickets or accidents in her lifetime and still had a valid driving license. Mom was an avid greeting card writer and never forgot a special occasion, because she cared so much about other people. Mother was always so grateful and never forgot to say thank you, which was a tradition she passed on to her children and grandchildren. It was very important that others knew she was Norwegian, which included loving lutefisk and lefsa. Alice was a very active member of her church, Central Lutheran, in Minneapolis, where she belonged to a Circle Bible Study Group, Altar Guild, and served in many other capacities. Mom’s strong faith and her church were very important to her. Mom was very passionate about spending time with her family, which included worrying about if we had eaten, slept or were taking care of ourselves. We will all miss her loving concern and caring attitude. Alice died on Thursday, December 22, 2011, at the Minneota Manor in Minneota. She is survived by her daughters Betty Prellwitz of Minneota, Janie Boyes of Las Vegas, NV and Brenda Leese of Minneota, grandchildren Rob (and Brenda) Prellwitz, Marty (and Heidi) Prellwitz and Owen (and Denise) Prellwitz, Dion Martin, Sheri Lynn Martin and Shawn Martin, great-grandchildren Jeremy (and Trisha,) Prellwitz, Nicole, Jordan, Gavin and Jillian, great-great grandchildren Payton and Amberly, and her cat and constant companion Tula, which is a Norwegian name. Alice was preceded in death by her parents (Ole and Julia Ramberg), husband (Otto), their stillborn infant baby, one sister (Marie Amundson), one brother (Olai Ramberg), and son-in-law (Robert Prellwitz Sr.) and several cousins. Mother was a very kind and caring Mom and will be greatly missed by her daughters and their families.