Alice Decker

When you imagine a perfect wife and mother, you think of someone who is caring, loving and nurturing, who always thinks of her family before herself and always acts with their interest in her heart, a parent who is also a best friend, then you begin to understand the way in which Alice Decker was a wife and mother to her beloved husband and four sons. 1935 was a harsh time in the history of our nation. The country was in the depths of the Great Depression, an event that took its toll on everything from the largest factory to the smallest family. For Rudolph Knute Danielson and his wife, Elizabeth (Leeuw), of Muskegon, Michigan, 1935 was a year of hope. On May 21, 1935, the couple happily welcomed the birth of their daughter, Alice, the youngest of their six children. As the youngest, Alice grew up under the watchful eye of her three sisters, Annabelle, Betty and Peg, and two brothers, Albert and Robert. The family lived a modest life in the Nelson Neighborhood, and although the Great Depression plagued the nation, Rudolph was one of the lucky few who had a job to provide for his family through these harsh times. Rudolph originated from Chicago, where he served on the Amateur Boxing Commission, but in Muskegon, he worked as a salesman for the H.J. Heinz Co. Tragically, when Alice was two, her father died of a brain tumor, leaving her mother to care for the family alone. Alice's oldest brother, Albert, left school thereafter to work at Shaw Walker to support the family. Unfortunately, another challenge soon arose for the family when Alice was burned accidentally when hot scalding water spilled on her shoulder and arm and spent many months recovering in the Grand Rapids hospital. Despite - or because - of these tragedies, the Danielsons remained a very close-knit family, and were a constant support to each other throughout their lives. Sundays were always set aside to have dinner together as a family, and to this day, the siblings still get together on Fridays for breakfast. After Alice graduated from Muskegon High School, she went right to work at Shaw Walker as the executive secretary to an Assistant to the owners. Then, as fate would have it, James W. Decker came to Muskegon from New York in 1962, after being hired right out of college to work at S.D. Warren Paper Mill as an Engineer/Supervisor. In the early winter of 1963, James was at Club 87 in Muskegon Heights, when he spotted Alice across the room. He asked her to dance, and, as they say, the rest is history. The couple was married that summer on July 20, 1963, at the Central Reformed Church in downtown Muskegon. This was truly a very memorable day for the couple, especially since it was so hot and Alice fainted at the altar! The newlyweds settled into married life together in a rented house on Getty Street, and then in 1967, they bought their first, and only, home on West Summit in Roosevelt Park. After saying I do, James and Alice wasted no time in starting their own family. In January of 1964, the couple welcomed the birth of their son, Scott, who was followed by Dan in 1966, Mike in 1967, and Bruce in 1972. Bruce often joked that Alice's hopes for a girl "were dashed" when he was born. Alice stayed home when the boys came along, wanting to dedicate her time to raising her sons right. With four active boys, she definitely stayed on her toes, yet she was very patient and it usually took a lot to "push her to the limit." She enjoyed being a room mother in the school, and supported them in their many activities. Just like in her childhood, Alice made Sunday dinners a time for the family, and for many years they also enjoyed Sunday breakfasts in their screened room. The family also took many memorable vacations in their old blue van, heading up to New York to visit James' family, to all the amusement parks, including Cedar Point and many trips up and down the lakeshore. For many years, they also rented cottages on either Silver Lake or Stony Lake, just west of Shelby. After her boys were grown, Alice began tutoring kids in reading for the Muskegon Public Schools. The kids just loved Alice; she had a warm motherly aura about her that drew them to her. James eventually retired from his job, but always had a part-time job to keep him busy. Being "retired", the couple enjoyed spending time together, taking trips and going golfing, though Alice just rode along in the cart. They were also frequent patrons at The Station Restaurant, where they had their own table and Alice was known as the "Fruity Lady" because she always ordered water with some kind of fruit in it. Alice and James' retirement years, however, weren't always happy ones. In 1998, Alice suffered a heart attack and by 2000, the doctors only gave her six months to live. With the resilience and inner strength she learned in her childhood, Alice persevered and proved the doctors wrong. By 2003, however, her health once again began to weaken, a year later, her beloved James was diagnosed with cancer. But the worst was yet to come for Alice, because in 2005, her son, Scott, died unexpectedly of a heart attack, leaving her truly heartbroken. Although devastated, Alice kept a "stiff upper lip", which her boys could see right through, knowing she missed Scott terribly. Alice was truly a wonderful mother, and treasured very much by her sons. They each had their own, unique relationship with their mother, one of them fondly said, "Some people have a mother, but we have a mom." Dan and Mike lived in the area so they vigilantly looked after their "mom" for the last three years. The hardest part may have been waking her up in the morning. since Alice was in no way a morning person. Mike says, "I'd go in every morning saying "wakey wakey" only to get the glare!" On Saturdays, Dan would bring her donuts, which Alice liked to call "ho-hos" even though she wasn't supposed to have them. As her end drew near, Bruce and his father asked Alice if she was scared, to which she most assuredly replied, "The Lord has been with me my whole life and he'll be with me through this." She will be deeply missed. Alice L. Decker, age 71, of Roosevelt Park, MI, died Wednesday, February 21, 2007. She is survived by her husband of 43 years, James W. Decker; 3 sons: Dan Decker of Muskegon, Michael J. Decker of Holland, Bruce Alan (Jennifer Herbert) Decker of Arlington, VA; sister, Peg (Raymond) Jacobson of Roosevelt Park; sister-in-law, Elaine Danielson of Roosevelt Park; brother, Robert (Margaret) Danielson of Grand Haven; many nieces and nephews, and many, many friends. She was preceded in death by her parents; her son, Scott Decker; 2 sisters, Annabelle Rollenhagen and Betty Weller; brother, Albert Danielson; 2 brothers-in-law: William Rollenhagen and Roger Weller. Services for Alice will be on Sunday, February 25, at 1:00 p.m. at Clock Chapel-Muskegon with Rev. David Willerup officiating. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery. A time of visitation is set aside for Saturday, from 2-4 p.m. at Clock Life Story Funeral Home - Muskegon. Memorial contributions may be made to Hackley VNS Hospice. Please visit www.lifestorynet.com where you may share a memory of Alice or sign the online guest book.