Alice Heisel

1934 - 2017

Alice L. Malmgren Heisel

Great Falls —Alice Laurel Malmgren Heisel passed away peacefully with her daughter Amanda by her side on Thursday, February 23rd 2017 at Peace Hospice. She made it 82 years. A memorial service for Alice this Saturday, March 4th at 2:00 at the First United Methodist Church located at 610 2nd Ave North. A reception will follow at the church.

Alice was born in Great Falls Montana on a typical Montana spring day, not unlike today - rainy, sunny, snowy, back in April of 1934. She was second youngest of five children. Growing up in a small house in Simms, she and her sisters shared one bedroom while her big brother Pinky and her cousin Fred Holland slept on the front porch. Her dad, Rudolph Malmgren ran an auto mechanic shop in Simms and though he kept everyone's cars running in tip-top shape, he forgot to teach Alice how to drive their family car and she wound up letting the Whippit roll into a power pole. In high school Alice was involved in every activity she could from being a cheerleader to playing the baritone. She graduated a proud Simms Tiger in 1952.

In September of 1957, Alice married her sweetheart, Evan Heisel, but not until he cut his pompadour off. She wasn't going to be riding next to him in his convertible with his long hair blowing all over the place. Alice and Evan then set off on their journey together and went to college at Montana State College in Bozeman. Evan earned his degree in Construction Engineering Technology and Alice proudly worked in the fieldhouse as the Secretary to the Athletic Director and for the housing office. They met some lifelong friends during those years, some of whom Alice is drinking wine with in heaven right now.

With Evan's career in construction, the happy couple lived in several different places throughout the northwest, but Great Falls was always home base. They started their family with the birth of Amanda Marie in 1964 and then Julia Ann in 1967. After being awarded with another construction job they thought it would be safe to add one more child to the family and Christian Howard was born in 1972.

Alice loved volunteering and being a part of the community, from the Newcomer's club in Olympia, Washington to being a 30 year member of the Rainbow Garden Club in Great Falls. She also volunteered at the Great Falls Public Library, Great Falls Genealogy Society, Great Falls History Museum, and several other organizations throughout her life.

Travelling was one of Alice's life-long interests. As a young woman in the late '50s, she didn't hesitate to take the train to San Francisco to shop for her trousseau. She also traveled with her family, sisters, and niece to Hawaii, Europe, Scandinavia, and all over America. Later in life she and Evan took bus tours and explored the South.

She rarely passed up the opportunity to enjoy music of all kinds. She admitted the main reason she married Evan was because he was such a great dancer. They would dance so often he would wear out the soles of his shoes. Back in High School it wasn't uncommon for Alice and her lifelong friend, Ida Jane to sneak up to Fairfield to the dances there. Alice was the first to ask for the guitars to come out after dinner on camping trips and enjoyed all of the partial bits and pieces of old country songs her family and friends attempted to play around the campfire.

Roses were Alice's other babies. She tended to her roses wherever she lived. In Medford, Oregon, Alice's rose bushes were taller than she was. Up until the last months she kept up her flower gardens - more by delegating the duties to her kids and grandchildren. Her gardens looked beautiful. Alice was a devoted Seattle Seahawks fan and considered watching their Super Bowl victory over the Broncos with her family to be a high point in her life.

Alice is preceded in death by her parents, Laurel Isabelle Malmgren and Rudolph Nicholas Malmgren, her brother, Thomas (Pinky) Malmgren and his wife Ardythe, her sisters Marie Malmgren and Ruth Champion, her brother-in-law Roy Johnson and various close cousins and friends. She is survived by her dear sister Ruby Johnson, her husband of almost 60 years, Evan Heisel, and her daughters Amanda Anderson, Julia (Alois) Kostelnik, and Christian (Leanne) Heisel. She will be missed by her five wonderful grandchildren - Bryce Anderson, Alexandria, Katie, and Ryan Kostelnik, and Aaron Heisel. Additional survivors who she loved dearly are brother-in-law Robert Champion, nieces Cathy (Dan) Champion-Predmore, Jacque (Neal) Whitney, Laura Beth (Rex) Jewett, Thom Champion, her wonderful cousins, and all of her dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, memorials can be contributed to the Rainbow Garden Club scholarship fund. 518 Kinglet Court, Great Falls, MT 59404.

Condolences to the family may be shared at www.croxfordfuneralhome.com