ALYCE C. SOPER

Alyce C. Soper of Devils Lake, ND passed away on Friday morning, November 1, 2013 at the Heartland Care Center, Devils Lake, ND. She was 84. There will be a Memorial Service for Alyce on Saturday, November 9, 2013 at 10:30 a.m. at St. Olaf Lutheran Church with burial in the Devils Lake Cemetery. Honorary Bearers for Alyce will be her Grandchildren and Great Grandchildren. Music will be provided by Donovan Foughty, soloist and Lynda Pearson, organist. Alyce C. Soper was born on October 5, 1929 at Edmore, ND to Carl C. and Andrea (Hjelsing) Olson, immigrants from Oslo, Norway. She left home at 12 years old and went to work for room and board at Jesse and Nellie Pengilly’s to finish the 6th grade at the Fancher Township School. She then went to Edmore Public School to finish the 7th and 8th grades. She passed the North Dakota Board test to go on to high school and graduated from Edmore High School. She worked for room and board at Dr. William and Ella Cox’s home. While in high school, after school she would go to Carl and Anna Strand’s and worked in their restaurant. The day after she graduated she moved to Fargo and attended the Dakota Business College. To pay for college, she worked at the Gardner Hotel as a cashier. After graduating, she obtained a position as a bookkeeper and cashier with Northwest Beverage out of Bismarck, ND continuing employment there until 1949. In 1949, Alyce moved to Devils Lake and met her future husband, Roger Soper and they were united in marriage on October 13, 1950 at St. Olaf Lutheran Church. While living in Devils Lake, Alyce was employed as a secretary for Shark’s Mens Store and Realty for several years and also was employed for a time at Ramsey National Bank, with Dr. Tolendorf and Lake Ready Mix. In 1957 she began employment with United Buckingham Inc. out of Spokane, WA just as a casual employee to cover sick leave and vacation time of other employees. In 1963 she became a full-time employee as the office manager and cashier with the trucking industry and for the next 30 years and was a dedicated employee of the company. The company started as United Buckingham Inc., eventually was Ringsby United and at the time of her retirement was Midwest Motor Express Inc. Alyce loved to cook and bake, golf, bowl and play cards. Roger and Alyce spent every winter going south golfing and visiting her brothers in Arizona and daughter in Georgia. Alyce had been a 49 year cancer survivor. She and Mrs. Jim Adelson of Fargo started the first Cancer Drive in Devils Lake in 1964, contacting local merchants for support. She was a Girl Scout and Cub Scout Leader and did volunteer work at the Lake Region Lutheran Home. Alyce loved her family and took such great pride in all their accomplishments. Alyce is survived by her three children, Greg and Marla Soper of Devils Lake, Barbara and Scott Barman of Evans, GA and Cathey Wallace of Minot, ND; seven grandchildren, Jesse and Connie Soper of Argusville, ND, Dustin and Tonya Soper also of Argusville, Kayla Soper of Fargo, ND, Matthew Barman of Evans, GA, Michael Barman of Atlanta, GA, Ryan and Ashley Wallace of Oklahoma City, OK, Laura Wallace and fiancé Layne Johnson of Minneapolis, MN; great granddaughter, Gracelyn Soper and great grandson, Ryder Soper; step great grandchildren, Carter and Danielle Schimke also of Argusville; brothers, Ola (Dorris) Olson, Mesa, AZ, Erling Olson, Phoenix, AZ and LeRoy (Evelyn) Olsen, Devils Lake; sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law, Donna Olson, Devils Lake, Fred Smith, Hillsboro, ND, Vernell Soper, Mae Soper and Betty Soper all of Devils Lake and Jay and Carole Soper of Surprise, AZ; many nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her parents; husband Roger on December 10, 2003; brothers, Einert Olson, Clifford Olson, Paul Nygard and Karrol Olson and sisters, Margit Grenier and Carolyne Smith.