Alice Hemesath

Alice Mae Hemesath, age 93, of Decorah, Iowa, passed away peacefully on Monday, November 10, 2025, at Wellington Place in Decorah.

Mass of Christian burial will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, November 18, 2025, at St. Benedict Catholic Church, 307 W Main St., with Rev. Donald Hertges presiding.

Visitation will be from 4:00-6:00 p.m. on Monday, November 17, 2025, at Helms Funeral Home, 306 E Water St., Decorah, Iowa. There will be no visitation at the church on Tuesday morning, please come in and be seated.

Memorials may be made to the family, who will donate to Alice’s favorite causes.

Alice Mae Ann Brown Hemesath was born January 25, 1932 to William and Mary Ann (Donlan) Brown in Bluffton Twp., Winneshiek County, Iowa. She left this earth November 10, 2025 at Wellington Place in Decorah. She was baptized, received First Communion, was confirmed and married at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church in rural Bluffton.

Alice attended Bluffton No. 6 country school and later graduated from Decorah High School in 1951. Following graduation, she worked as a bookkeeper for Ingvaldstad Lumber Yard until her marriage to Joseph Hemesath on February 1, 1956.

Alice and Joe farmed south of Decorah for 3 years before buying a farm north of Decorah where they lived for 36 years. They moved into Decorah in 1995 when their son, Keith, and family moved to the home farm. Alice and Joe lived together in the home they built in Decorah until Joe’s death in 2019. Alice resided at Wellington Place in Decorah from May 2022 till her death.

Alice was active in her church and community volunteering on Aase Haugen Homes Auxiliary Board, at St. Benedict Church and School, Winneshiek County Hospice, Winneshiek County Cancer Society, County 4-H and other community organizations. She was an active member of St Benedict Catholic Church and CDA. She brought communion to the residents of Aase Haugen, Eastern Star and Wellington Place and often prayed the rosary with them.

Alice enjoyed playing cards, sewing, cooking and baking, especially her famous tea rings. She and Joe enjoyed dancing and at one point belonged to a square dance club. Alice and Joe traveled after retiring, enjoying trips to Colorado, South Dakota and the East coast. They were, in fact, traveling through Pennsylvania on their way to Washington, DC when 9/11 occurred. She made a quilted Christmas tree skirt for each of her children and grandchildren - 21 in all. She always enjoyed preparing a nice meal for her family. Alice enjoyed a good cup of coffee and often had the pot on till after 9PM which probably contributed to the fact that she was a night owl. Chocolate was one of her weaknesses so she enjoyed making and eating chocolate oaties and chocolate marshmallow cookies. Her organizational skills were exceptional demonstrated by the fact that she labeled nearly everything.

Alice is survived by her 5 children: Mary (Ed) Payne, Jolene (John) Frankhouse, Keith (Linda) Hemesath, Martha (Bob) Kane and Brad (Trisha) Hemesath; 16 grandchildren: Whitney (Kenny) Lents, Ross (Anna) Payne, Mariah (Morgan) McCabe, Andrew (YiChi Lei) Frankhouse, Tyler (Gillian Randall) Frankhouse, Mitchel (Krista) Hemesath, Adam (Hannah) Hemesath, Ryan Hemesath, Kilah (Joel) Watson, Garret (Hannah) Hemesath, Lucas Kane, Kyle Kane, Anna (Ian) Spencer, Cade (Addison) Hemesath, Cael (Ashlynn Wiley) Hemesath, Elayna (Nash Arkulari) Hemesath; soon-to-be 23 great-grandchildren: Keaton and Brody Lents, Jackson, Leah and Hailey Payne, Sidney, Cora and Liddy McCabe, Leonard Frankhouse, Aiden and Audrey Hemesath, Kasen, Kayden and Kaleb Smith, Alexis, Natalie, Paige, Kallie and Linley Hemesath, Nellie, Hazel and Baby Watson and Graham Hemesath; sisters-in-law, Rosemary Whitehorn, Suzanne Hemesath and Eleanor Spielbauer; brother-in-law, Fred (Frances) Hemesath.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Joseph; parents, William and Mary Ann Brown; father and mother-in-law, Herman and Helen Hemesath; sisters and their spouses Regina (Willard) Weber, Rose (Lester) Sharp, Helen (Lester) Engen, Rita (Kenny) Rude and Frances (Lavern) Syverson; Mary Ellen Brown (in infancy) and twins; Evelyn Theresa and John William Brown (in infancy); brothers-in-law, Norbert Hemesath, Larry Spielbauer and Grady Whitehorne.