Maloney, Alice (Bina) -- 1907 - 1998

BENDA, BINA, MALONEY, TALKIN, LUKES

Posted By: IAGenWeb Volunteer
Date: 8/12/2010 at 13:29:09

Decorah Public Opinion, Tuesday, Dec. 1 1998

Alice Maloney

Alice Maloney, 91, died Friday, Nov. 27, 1998.

A funeral mass was held Monday, Nov. 30, at 11 a.m., at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Spillville, with the Rev. Donald Hawes officiating.

Doris Thompson was the organist. Casket bearers were Herbert Talkin, Andy Bina, Richard Heying, Larry Lukes, Victor Lukes and Linda Heying.

Interment was at the St. Wenceslaus Cemetery. The Balik Funeral Home handled arrangements.

Alice was the first child of Mathias and Frances (Benda) Bina, born Jan. 5, 1907. She lived with her parents in Spillville, helping with the farm chores, while attending St. Wenceslaus Catholic School.

During this time she became well known for her art work, usually winning contest ribbons at county fairs and craft shows. Her small painting of the St. Wenceslaus Church building made during those years, has been on display in the Bily Clocks Museum in Spillville.

Alice left home about 1932 to help raise the two infant children of her aunt, Helen Reynolds. She served as governess also for the children of other families.

Eventually she found employment in the watch factory in Elgin, Illinois. During that period, she studied fine arts painting at the Chicago Art Institute, to which she commuted by rail.

In 1939, Alice married Edward Maloney. Shortly thereafter, he was inducted into the United States infantry and was away overseas during the war. Alice was employed in the Douglas military airplane factory in Illinois. When Edward returned in 1945, they were living in Washington, D.C. They were divorced in 1948.

Alice supported herself with jobs as a photograph touch-up and color artist for several years until 1952. She applied for and was appointed to a position with the United States Army National Security Agency (NSA) in Fort Meade, Md. During her 20 years service with the NSA, she performed important technical assignments creditably and was cited from time to time for excellence. She retired from NSA in 1972.

In retirement, Alice traveled, studied oil painting in the institute in Paris and continued oil painting as a hobby, making gifts of her admired works to friends and to charity.

Survivors include her spouse Herbert Talkin; her sister, Helen and Dan Lukes; her brother, Victor and Lillian Bina; and sister-in-law Virginia Bina.

Alice Maloney was preceded in death by her parents and a brother, Ernest Bina, who died in January of 1997.

Transcribed by an IA GenWeb Volunteer from obituaries found in the Howard-Winneshiek Genealogy Society Library, Cresco, Iowa.