Alice N. Gillett

Alice Nellie Gillett, one of two daughters of Kate (Johnson) Russell and William Miles Russell, was born at her parent's home in rural Lewis, Iowa, on September 7, 1919. Alice grew up in the Lewis area and graduated from Lewis High School in 1937.

Following high school, Alice moved to Atlantic, Iowa and did housekeeping for private families. It was during this time that she met and fell in love with the milkman, William Clarence Gillett. The couple later married at the Russell home on October 8, 1939. They lived on the family farm and Bill went to work farming with her father near Griswold, IA. Several years later, they moved to their own farm by Atlantic, IA. Their marriage was blessed with two sons, Russell Clarence and Dennis Miles. Alice enjoyed her life as a farm wife and mother.

In 1972, Alice and Bill retired and moved to Atlantic. They enjoyed being members of the Whirl-A-Way Square Dance Club and Alice was a member of the St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church in Atlantic. Alice and Bill loved antiques and spent countless hours together searching shops for their "treasures". Alice loved everything about flowers. She and Bill turned their backyard into a flower showcase and they enjoyed having her flower gardens featured in the annual "Garden Walk" in Atlantic.

Alice and Bill had been married 63 years at the time of his death on September 11, 2003. In October 2004, Alice moved to Malvern, Iowa, to be closer to her son, Dennis and his wife Kathie. She enjoyed her time in Malvern, and with Dennis's help, was slowly turning her new yard into another showcase.

Alice suffered a heart attack and four days later passed away on February 11, 2011, at the Montgomery County Memorial Hospital in Red Oak, Iowa. She had attained the age of 91 years, 5 months, and 4 days.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents; husband; and sister, Eloise Marten and her husband Emil.

Alice is survived by her sons, Russell Gillett and wife Linda of Texarkana, Arkansas and Dennis Gillett and wife Kathie of Malvern; 5 grandchildren, Stoney Gillett and his children of Bradenton, Florida, Julie Gillett and her son of Atlanta, Georgia, Samantha (Gillett) Hunt and her son of Texarkana, Arkansas, Jody Gillett and her daughters of Fort Collins, Colorado, and Katlynn (Gillett) Lund and her husband Scott of Blair, Nebraska; 7 great grandchildren; 1 great great grandchild; other relatives and friends.

In lieu of flowers, a memorial fund has been established.