Alice J. Holden

Alice J. Holden, 87, died Sunday, Nov. 25, 2012, at Mercy Medical Center in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Nov. 30, 2012, at the Powell Funeral Home and Cremation Service in North English. Scott Young will officiate. Visitation will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012, at the funeral home. Burial will be in the North English Cemetery. A general memorial fund has been established. Messages and tributes may be left at www.powellfuneralhomes.com under obituaries.

Alice Jester Holden was born on Aug. 8, 1925, in Greenwood, S.C., the daughter of Robert Boyd and Sallie Alma King Jester. She was raised in Greenwood, S.C., and attended school there. She worked at Eastwell’s Inc. making shirts and jackets for the military during World War II.

Alice met Edwin Wesley Holden who was stationed at Coronaca Air Base and on Jan. 25, 1946, they married in Newberry, S.C. They moved to Iowa in 1946 and they made their home in the North English community. She was a farm wife, and a member of the Rebekah Lodge, where she served as Noble Grand along with many other offices. She was a member of the TL Community Club, and the Ladies Auxiliary. Alice worked tirelessly to start the English Valleys School Lunch Program. Alice moved to the English Valley Care Center in December 2011. She was a character and will be missed by all who knew her.

Alice is survived by a daughter, Connie Hanna of Ely, Iowa; a son, Richard (Kathy) Holden of North English, Iowa; seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two infant sisters; an infant brother, Earl; and a brother, Robert Benjamin Jester.

Published Nov. 27, 2012 in The Gazette