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Photo of Alice L. (Wiese) Kay

Alice L. (Wiese) Kay

1/7/1927 - 4/24/2018


Obituary


Alice L. Kay, 91, passed away on Tuesday, April 24, 2018 at the Israel Family Hospice House in Ames, Iowa.

Memorial services for Alice Kay will be held on Wednesday, May 2, 2018 at 10:00 AM at the United Presbyterian Church, 219 1st Street Northwest in Clarion, with Pastor Bill Kem officiating.

Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 1, 2018 from 4:00 – 6:00 PM at Ewing Funeral Home, 1801 Central Avenue East in Clarion, and will continue one hour prior to services at the church on Wednesday.

Alice Lou (Wiese) Kay was born January 7, 1927, in Atlantic, Iowa.  She attended Drake University on a full music scholarship, studying piano, voice and organ.  There she met her future husband, Robert Kay, who was a student at Drake Law School.  She left Drake after two years of study to marry Bob, and start their life together.

They married in 1947 and moved to Clarion where Bob opened his law practice.  Bob and Alice were a great team and gave of their time and talents to the Clarion community.  They both served on many boards and service organizations and were active in the United Methodist Church.  Alice directed the Wright County Women’s chorus for 20 years and the Methodist Church Choir for 20 years, once directing a 100 voice Clarion chorus production of “The Messiah”.  She taught piano and guitar for 25 years. She organized and played guitar and bass fiddle in a blue grass band called The White Fox Assembly.  Alice was the first woman to be elected to the Clarion City Council as well as being the first woman elected to the Clarion Development Commission. She also served as chairman of the Wright County Land Use Commission and the City Council Recreation Committee. She was on the original Festival in the Park committee.  She became a member of the Library Board and served as president for 10 years. In more traditional “volunteer” roles, Alice served as the organizer for Campfire Girls in Clarion, was a leader for ten years, and served on the State Campfire Board for two years.  She taught Sunday School at the Methodist Church for 20 years. She volunteered for the Community Chest Fund drives. In 1979 she enrolled at Iowa State University to complete her degree in Music Therapy, with the encouragement and support of her best friend, husband Bob.  She and Bob were also on the board that built The Meadows, and Alice was on the board of the Meadows Assisted Living.

When Bob passed away in 2001, Alice moved to Ames where she lived for 10 years before moving back to Clarion in 2011, where she and Bob had lived their life together and raised their three children, Kathy, Debby and Brian.

She was a woman of many talents and interests.  Alice Kay was a doer, not a sitter, being blessed with good health and lots of enthusiasm. She and Bob loved travel and had the opportunity to explore much of the United States and countries abroad. She and Bob built a cabin in Northern Minnesota on Ten Mile Lake where they shared a love of nature and water fun with friends and family.  She loved participating in life at every stage of her life.  Most recently she shared her passion for physical activity by leading a daily chair exercise class at The Meadows Assisted Living. She will be remembered for encouraging others to be the best that they could be and for always being a good listener.

She is survived by her children, Kathryn (Bill) Jewell of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, Deborah Garwood of Ames, Iowa, and Brian (Bonnie) of St. Cloud, Minnesota; four grandchildren, Amy (Brian) McDowell, Jason (Whitney) Garwood, Rachel (Sion) Owen and Kevin (Corinne) Kay; and  two great grandchildren Drew and Ty McDowell.

Alice’s family requests memorials be directed to the Iowa Specialty Hospital in Clarion or the Clarion Public Library.