Alkire, Fern 1919-2003

ALKIRE, GREGG, GRAY

Posted By: Linda Ziemann, Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/13/2007 at 12:45:48

Fern Alkire

VERMILLION, S.D. -- Fern Leone Alkire, 84, of Alcester, S.D., formerly of Vermillion, passed away Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2003, at Morningside Manor in Alcester.

Services will be 2 p.m. Friday at Iverson-Siecke Funeral Home in Vermillion, with Brother Gene Van Epps officiating. Burial will be in Bluff View Cemetery.

She was born Feb. 14, 1919, in Vermillion, to Raymond and Daisy (Gray) Gregg. She attended Elmwood School until the age of nine, then attended Roosevelt School District 58 through the eighth grade. She was the second child of the family to graduate from the University High School in 1937, with four years of perfect attendance.

She married George Donavon "Don" Alkire on Dec. 28, 1939, in Le Mars, Iowa. After their marriage, they moved to Rapid City, S.D., where her husband was teaching at Rapid City High School. They moved to Yankton, S.D. in 1942, where he taught in the math and astronomy department at Yankton College. It was here that their only child, Daniel Alkire, was born.

They moved to Mankato, Minn., where her husband taught at Mankato Teachers College. It was at this place that she enrolled in the Mankato Beauty College. Then they moved to Lawrence, Kan., where he worked on his doctorate of mathematics and upon reaching this goal, he again accepted a job at the University of South Dakota Mathematics Department. In 1953, they moved to Fresno, Calif. Mr. Alkire died April 5, 1968. She resided in California until June 12, 2002, when she came to live with her sister, Elsie, in Sioux Falls. She entered Morningside Manor on Sept. 19, 2002.

She is survived by a daughter-in-law, Sherrie Alkire of North Fork, Calif.; four grandchildren, Anne Sadro of Mission Viejo, Calif., David Gilbert of North Carolina, and Daniel Alkire Jr. and Deadra Alkire, both of North Fork, Calif.; a brother, Donald (Grace) Gregg of Vermillion; three sisters, Ruby Glodery of Los Angeles, Calif., Elsie Stibral and Bonnie (Duane) Pearson, all of Sioux Falls; and a sister-in-law, Delores Gregg of Vermillion.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband; a son, Daniel Alkire Sr.; two brothers, Melvin and Lorin Gregg; and two sisters, Lois Goodburn and Dorothy Flinders.

Pallbearers will be her nephews, Michael, Curtis and Chris Gregg, Denis Wendte, Gregg Pearson and Gary Goodburn.

[Part of the Darrell Easton Obituary Collection; source: Sioux City Journal]