Wolvek, Alice Earline

WOLVEK, OXBERGER, MONTGOMERY, HARRY

Posted By: Volunteer
Date: 12/8/2020 at 16:58:28

As Thanksgiving Day festivities were underway, family and friends from the Midwest to the deep south prepared to say goodbye to Alice Earline Wolvek, who passed shortly before Thanksgiving Day at the age of 83.

Alice lived in many places across the country during childhood. Her life began as Alice Earline Oxberger at her grandparents’ home in Des Moines, Iowa. When her parents divorced, she and her four siblings moved to Arizona, California and Alabama after the Great Depression. Alice eventually returned to Iowa to attend parochial and public schools including East High School where she met and married her high school sweetheart, Richard R. Montgomery. She later went on to earn her GED and graduated from Drake University with a degree in general studies while devotedly raising her children and working full time as an executive secretary at Massey Ferguson and data base administrator for Ardans and Pioneer.

Her marriage of 46 years to Dr. Joseph “Joe” Wolvek provided for rich travel experiences around the globe on many continents together. Alice particularly enjoyed sharing about her travel log trips throughout Europe and China following her retirement. She has been a devoted wife to Joe.

Alice relished her many roles throughout her life as daughter, sister, wife, friend, amazing gourmet cook, chief creator of family Cookie Day near Christmas time and volunteering regularly at a food pantry. But her most cherished roles were as devoted mother to her two children, grandmother and great-grandmother. Celebrating everyone’s birthday and the holidays was her specialty. Any description of Alice must mention her numerous and varied interests, gifts and talents. She enjoyed regularly playing bridge, the piano, and loved listening to others play piano and sing. She read many historically based books and created a family genealogy tree with photo book, gardened, sewed, and raised canaries. But nothing surpassed her generous compassion and care for her family where she actively listened without judgement and saw beauty, potential, and strength in each one. She approached life with grace and was always a lady.

Alice was spiritual attributable to her upbringing in the Seventh Day Adventist Church and eventual membership in Community of Christ Church where she taught Sunday school. Her values were represented by the inspiring poem called Desiderata about striving toward high ideals. It reminds us to treat others kindly, to accept who they are and to be gentle with ourselves.

Alice is survived by her husband of 46 years, Dr. Joseph Wolvek; son Charles “Chuck” Montgomery and wife Doris of Des Moines; daughter Kimberly Cisna and husband John; and son David Wolvek and wife Dawn of Missouri; a brother Leo Oxberger and wife Mona of Florida; a sister Helen Couron and husband Bruce of Florida; and eight grandchildren, Matthew, Julie, Kimberly, Dani, Jamie, Laura, Lindsay, Wendy; and ten great-grandchildren, Alexander, Tessa, Collins, Lennon, Jack, Reese, Everett, Kai, Kinsley, and Brynlee. Alice is also survived by step brother, Richard Zerbee (Arlene) of Kentucky and step sister Georgetta Garrison (Arthur) of Florida. Alice is preceded in death by her father Everett Earl Oxberger (Georgia) and mother Beatrice Spencer (Harry) and brothers Jerry Oxberger (Nora) of Georgia; and Loyd Spencer (Linda) of Des Moines.

Alice loved her nieces and nephews and had many life-long close friends. Alice would find joy knowing family traditions continue.

Funeral services will be conducted at 10 am Monday, December 2 at NW Community of Christ Church at 3003 62nd St, Des Moines. The family will greet friends following the service. Interment in Glendale Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Iowa Food Bank, the DMARC Food Pantry Network, or the Taylor House Hospice.

ARRANGEMENTS BY ILES ~ DUNN'S CHAPEL.

Source: ilesfuneralhomes.com