Alice DeWitt, 89, of Oshkosh passed away on Tuesday evening, October 28, 2014 at the Regional West Garden County Nursing Home in Oshkosh.
Funeral Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, November 1, 2014 at the Holechek Funeral Home in Oshkosh with Pastor Maynard McCarthy of the Assembly of God Church in Oshkosh officiating. Burial will follow in the Oshkosh City Cemetery.
There will be no visitation and the casket will be closed.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to the Garden County Foundation- Nursing Home.
Holechek Funeral Home in Oshkosh is serving the DeWitt Family.
Alice Esther DeWitt was born on June 3, 1925 to Jesse and Fern (Atkinson) Cooper on the Campbell place north of Oshkosh. She attended Garden country schools with her brothers and sisters at Lost Creek and the Plummer School, usually walking or riding a horse. She worked on the family farm and also for many families in the community as a mother’s helper.
Alice married Jack DeWitt on January 19, 1946 in Oshkosh, Ne. They were blessed with two children, Jacqlyn Sue and Gerald DeWayne. They farmed north of Oshkosh, worked for Wayne and Bea Kayton in Chappell, and eventually moved to Lead, South Dakota where Jack worked in the gold mines. They returned to work for the Eldred Ranch north of Lisco in 1949. Jack served first as a ranch foreman and Alice cooked countless meals for the hired men and cared for her children. Later Jack became ranch manager and Alice worked along with Jack, fencing, moving cattle, and calving. Alice spent many hours driving her children to and from school and to 4-H Meetings. Alice was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary in Lisco.
They retired in 1994 and enjoyed living in Oshkosh. Alice loved to garden, can, and fill her cellar with delicious food for the many meals she served. She enjoyed needlework and crafts and made many beautiful gifts for her friends and family. She was a wonderful cook and baker. Alice was a devoted mother to her children and spent many precious hours with her grandchildren. She was famous for creating many games including home-made bows and arrows and trash-bag races in the blowouts.
Alice is survived by her daughter, Jacqlyn Jesse and special friend, Frank Heagney, and son, Gerald (Mary) DeWitt; Siblings, Rosanna Nass, and Don Cooper; Grandchildren, Michelle (Allen) McGinnis, Terry (Tracy) Jesse, Shantelle Lenz, Paul, (Melissa) DeWitt, Amelia (Steve) Kallhoff, Jesi DeWitt (Julie Dierberger), and Justin (Jenni) DeWitt; Great-grandchildren, Brent (Christina) Moore, Eric Jesse, Taylor Jesse, Keaton Lenz, Landon Lenz, Dillon DeWitt, Madison DeWitt, Caden Kallhoff, Colton Kallhoff, Anthony DeWitt, and Cooper Jack DeWitt; and great-great grandson, Aiden Moore.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Jesse and Fern Cooper, husband, Jack DeWitt, brothers, Johnny Cooper, Virgil Cooper, and George Cooper and sisters, Violet McCabe and Clara May McConkey.