Alice Magdeline Stolz
February 20, 1914 — September 15, 2015
Alice Magdeline Graeve Stolz was born on February 20, 1914 in Defiance, Iowa to Matthias and Susan (Jacoby) Finken. She was baptized and confirmed at St. Peter’s Catholic Church in Defiance and graduated with the Class of 1932 from St. Paul’s Catholic School. In 1933, the family moved to a farm near Earling, Iowa. She attended one year of college at Mount St. Scholastica in Atchison, Kansas and taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Grove Township for six years.
On April 11, 1939, she was united in marriage to Ray Graeve at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. To this union thirteen children were born: Phil, Mary, Ed, Ken, Bob, Neil, Ann, Pat, Kathy, Mark, Teresa, Rose, and Jack.
Alice was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Catherine No. 266 for eighty-one years. She was a Benedictine Oblate of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. She enjoyed baking bread, rolls, and pies and quilting, especially baby quilts for family.
Alice remained on the farm after Ray’s sudden death in January of 1958 until June of 1973, when she bought a home in Earling. In 1968, Alice went back to teaching second grade in Earling.
In 1982, Alice was married to Melvin Stolz, moved to Harlan, and retired from teaching, continuing to do some substitute teaching in the area Catholic Schools until 2004. She remained in her own home until her death on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the age of one hundred one years, six months, and twenty-six days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Ray and Melvin, son Mark, grandchildren: David Graeve, Sam Schomers, Sean Hatfield, and Michelle Hatfield, great-grandchild Nathan Knowles, brothers: Longinus, Howard, William, Father Basil, and Gail Finken, and sisters: Bernice, Sister M. Augustine Finken and Mary Jane Slettedahl.
She is survived by her children: Phil Graeve and his wife Harriett of Defiance, Iowa, Mary and her husband Frank Kilibarda of Courtland, Minnesota, Ed Graeve and his wife Mary Kay of Denison, Iowa, Ken Graeve and his wife Dixie of Brookfield, Wisconsin, Bob Graeve and his wife Sue of Omaha, Nebraska, Neil Graeve and his wife Jolene of Tucson, Arizona, Ann Graeve of Harlan, Iowa, Pat and her husband Joe Michels of Panama, Iowa, Kathy and her husband Dennis Foster of Land O Lakes, Florida, Teresa Wageman of Harlan, Rose and her husband Dave Schomers of Harlan, and Jack Graeve of Des Moines, Iowa; thirty-nine grandchildren; seventy-four great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; other family members and friends.
On April 11, 1939, she was united in marriage to Ray Graeve at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Earling. To this union thirteen children were born: Phil, Mary, Ed, Ken, Bob, Neil, Ann, Pat, Kathy, Mark, Teresa, Rose, and Jack.
Alice was a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas Court St. Catherine No. 266 for eighty-one years. She was a Benedictine Oblate of St. Benedict’s Abbey in Atchison, Kansas. She enjoyed baking bread, rolls, and pies and quilting, especially baby quilts for family.
Alice remained on the farm after Ray’s sudden death in January of 1958 until June of 1973, when she bought a home in Earling. In 1968, Alice went back to teaching second grade in Earling.
In 1982, Alice was married to Melvin Stolz, moved to Harlan, and retired from teaching, continuing to do some substitute teaching in the area Catholic Schools until 2004. She remained in her own home until her death on Tuesday, September 15, 2015 at the age of one hundred one years, six months, and twenty-six days.
She was preceded in death by her parents, husbands Ray and Melvin, son Mark, grandchildren: David Graeve, Sam Schomers, Sean Hatfield, and Michelle Hatfield, great-grandchild Nathan Knowles, brothers: Longinus, Howard, William, Father Basil, and Gail Finken, and sisters: Bernice, Sister M. Augustine Finken and Mary Jane Slettedahl.
She is survived by her children: Phil Graeve and his wife Harriett of Defiance, Iowa, Mary and her husband Frank Kilibarda of Courtland, Minnesota, Ed Graeve and his wife Mary Kay of Denison, Iowa, Ken Graeve and his wife Dixie of Brookfield, Wisconsin, Bob Graeve and his wife Sue of Omaha, Nebraska, Neil Graeve and his wife Jolene of Tucson, Arizona, Ann Graeve of Harlan, Iowa, Pat and her husband Joe Michels of Panama, Iowa, Kathy and her husband Dennis Foster of Land O Lakes, Florida, Teresa Wageman of Harlan, Rose and her husband Dave Schomers of Harlan, and Jack Graeve of Des Moines, Iowa; thirty-nine grandchildren; seventy-four great-grandchildren; one great-great-grandchild; other family members and friends.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alice Magdeline Stolz, please visit our flower store.