Louise Edwards

1924 - 2015

Louise Edwards
Sept. 26, 1924 - July 17, 2015
Santa Clara County
Alice Althaus Edwards was born in the Kuhling, China, of missionary parents, Christian Palmer Althaus and Laura Wilson Althaus. When Alice was two years old, the family returned to the United States and settled in Bethel, Ohio, where she and her older sister Grace and her older brother Russell grew up. Two other siblings (Betty & Wilbur) died at an early age. Alice went to Ohio State University and received her Bachelor's degree in 1946. Shortly after, she married J. Gordon Edwards (October 12, 1946), whom she had met in college. The couple had one child, Jane, who was born in 1952. The family moved to Washington State, but resettled in San Jose, California, a year later. Gordon, who had a doctorate in entomology, took a teaching position at San Jose State. Every year, the close-knit family went hiking in Glacier National Park, where Gordon was a park ranger and naturalist for nine years. He pioneered routes to more than 70 peaks, and wrote the definitive guidebook for climbers in Glacier. Alice and Jane accompanied Gordon to more far-flung adventures and scientific research in Europe, Australia, and the Yucatan Peninsula. For his 76th birthday, Alice gave Gordon a special birthday present, an ascent of the Matterhorn, at 14,777 feet in elevation. All three were excellent musicians, playing the piano for their own enjoyment as well as for friends and family. Alice continued to play into her later years, and charmed everyone with her sweet smile and soft voice.She maintained a beautiful garden with lemon and orange trees, shared her garden with the local deer, and enjoyed walking around her neighborhood. In early 2015, she moved into a care facility, where she died peacefully on July 17th after a brief illness. Her husband and daughter preceded her in death, Gordon in 2004 and Jane in 2005. Alice is survived by four nieces, a nephew, and a sister in law: Jean and David Snider; Mary, Fran and Diane Althaus; and Joanne Johnson