Alice (Tiemessen) Ward

Alice Marie (Tiemessen) Ward was born on June 6, 1937, in New Hampton, Iowa, the sixth child of John Tiemessen and Helena Glaser. She attended 12 years of school at St. Mary's in North Washington, Iowa. After graduation, she attended Briar Cliff College in Sioux City, Iowa, earning a two-year pre- professional teaching certificate. She taught third grade in Charles City, Iowa, for one year. She married Wayne Ward on Aug. 23, 1958. Wayne worked for the railroad and they lived in St. Paul, Minn., Spokane, Wash., Inver Grove Heights, Minn., and Olathe, Kan. Two children were chosen by adoption for this union, Matthew and Martin. Alice worked various secretarial and administrative assistant positions over the years, retiring from Applebee's International, Inc. corporate offices as executive assistant in 2001. She continued to work for the company part-time until 2008. She loved her family and friends, playing softball for many years, bowling, gardening, birding, playing cards, traveling with her two sisters, Gennie and Arlene, reading, jigsaw puzzles, and visits to the casinos. After retiring she became very involved in her church and various volunteer positions, giving of her time and talents. Some of the facilities where she volunteered were Villas of St. Francis Nursing Home, Heartstrings Community Foundation, Prince of Peace Church, Catholic Charities, and Ascension Church. She was preceded in death by her husband Wayne in 2000, parents, and two brothers, David in 1960 and John in 1986. She is survived by her sons and their wives, Matt (Monica) of Lee's Summit, Mo., and Marty (Jan) of Eden Prairie, Minn., and three grandchildren, Mackenzie and Taylor Foster and Miles Matthew Ward, who was the light of her life. Miles loved to spend weekends with Mimi when he was little. One of their favorite things when he was little was popcorn and skittles "parties" in her bed while watching a movie. A highlight for him was their trip to Disney World in 2009 when he was 10. Memorial Services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 30, at Church of the Ascension, 9510 W. 127th St., Overland Park, Kan. Visitation will be held one hour prior. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Catholic Charities Organization where Alice volunteered, 333 E. Poplar St., #A, Olathe, KS 66061 or to Caring Bridge at www.caringbridge.org. Online condolences may be shared with the Ward family at www.johnsoncountychapel.com. Arr.: D.W. Newcomer's Johnson County Chapel, 11200 Metcalf, Overland Park, KS 66210.

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