Alice O. Hansen
FITCHBURG – Alice O. Hansen was born in South Dakota in 1935.
A lifelong singer, she had an elegant soprano voice. From her first solo at age 3 at Our Savior’s Lutheran, her home church in South Dakota, to her final solo 81 years later at the Oakwood Chapel in Madison, Wis., singing was one of her greatest passions and gifts. She passed away on Thursday, June 11, 2020.
Alice graduated Valedictorian of her high school class and attended Radcliffe College/Harvard University. She met her husband, Marc, at the wedding of her sister, on one of the hottest South Dakota July days – 100 degrees. Marc and Alice were married three years later in December, on one of the coldest South Dakota days – 30 degrees below zero! They survived both heat and cold and have been married 64 ½ years.
An active member of Bethel Lutheran Church in Madison, Alice sang in the church choir for over 55 years. She organized the Children’s Choir at Bethel and led it for 25 years. She served on the Church Council and several pastoral search committees, and was active in the creation of Bethel Horizons, serving on its board. Alice helped create the Bethel “Church Ladies” which met monthly and provided support and activities for women in transition from prison. She has been an active partner and Board member in the Bethel Homeless program, serving persons in transition, poverty or other difficulties
Alice and Marc were enthusiastic travelers, traveling to all seven continents and Greenland. They enjoyed visiting cousins in Norway and Sweden, and entertaining them when they visited the U.S. They also traveled extensively in the U.S., but especially loved the area around Yellowstone National Park and the Beartooth Mountains of Montana, where they summered at their cabin.
Alice’s favorite role, however, has always been as mother and grandmother, supporting and loving three granddaughters as they grew up. Despite a long illness with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, she continued to live life fully until the very end, leaving us too soon.
She is survived by her husband, Marc; her children, Marc (Juliann) and Christine; her granddaughters, Emily, Maggie and Charlotte; her sister, Donna; her sister-in-law, Nancy; and numerous nephews, grandnieces and grandnephews.
A memorial service will be scheduled at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, donations in her name may be made to the Bethel Lutheran Church Homeless Program, Bethel Horizons or other Bethel programs, to the Madison Christian Community or to a charity of your choice.
Online condolences may be made at www.gundersonfh.com.
Gunderson Fitchburg
Funeral & Cremation Care
2950 Chapel Valley Road
(608) 442-5002
