Obituary of Alice Iseli

Alice was the first of seven children born to Oscar and Florence (Barker) Anderson. She was born on March 7, 1925, at their home northwest of Osceola, Nebraska. She attended country school through 8th grade. Then she boarded in Silver Creek, Nebraska, for high school and graduated in 1942. Alice and her sister, Evelyn attended Kearny State College and earned their teaching certificates. She fondly remembered the good times the sisters had at Kearney. She taught country one room schools K-8th in Polk and Merrick Counties. She met and married Leroy Calvin Iseli recently returned veteran of the Italian front in WWII - on January 1, 1946. Their only child, Darrel Leroy was born in Renton, Washington, on October 3, 1946. After moving back to Nebraska and doing a variety of jobs, Cal got on with the Union Pacific Railroad as a telegrapher. Thus began the Iseli family life with the railroad. Their small trailer home took them to various jobs over the years, from South Dakota, Nebraska and Kansas. Cal was telegrapher in Sterling, Colorado and later moved to the 1-70 corridor as the agent at the Agate depot in 1961. The Agate depot needed to be modernized in many ways, but, Alice made it a home. Cal’s last full-time agent job was at the Strasburg Depot. His declining health moved him to the ‘extra board’. No more depot living for Alice!! They built a new home in Bennett in 1970. It was their pride and joy. Alice could have her yard and stay long enough to see it mature. Cal passed away, November 28, 1980, from a heart attack at the age of 58. Alice lived 32 years without him in the house they built together. They made lifelong friends at each depot they worked. Alice was a cook at Nickerson Farms for a few years when Darrel was in Vietnam to keep busy. She went to work for the OEA plant s0outh of Bennett. She retired from OEA in 1990 and began her adventures in retirement. One of the happiest days in their lives was when the first grandchild, Eric James lseli, arrived on September 1, 1980. Unfortunately, Cal passed when Eric was 3 months old. Alice took her grandmotherly duties seriously and went on to spoil him rotten. They were known for the green pancakes they loved to make and the John Deere toys she bought him. Sadly, the next grandchild, Anne Elizabeth, was stillborn on December 18, 1985. We were all happy and relieved when on February 28, 1987, her third grandchild, Todd Lee Iseli was born healthy and happy. The boys were her greatest joy. She took pride in the men they have grown to be and would leave this earth only when her family was around her bed together. In addition to Cal and Anne Elizabeth, Alice was preceded in death by her parents, her sisters Lila and Evelyn, and her brothers Gilbert and Keith. She is survived by her son, Darrel, daughter-in-law, Neva, grandsons, Eric Iseli of Strasburg, Colorado and Todd Iseli of Sterling, Colorado and brother, LaVern (Carol) Anderson of Ashland, Nebraska, and sister, Lois Lauer of Santa Maria, California, and many nieces and nephews. We thank the group of ladies she ‘ran’ with who gave her so much joy and laughter so her years w/o Cal were not so lonely, bless you all!