Alice Marie Roelfs Roper, age 96, of Manhattan, died January 4, 2020 at the Meadowlark Hills Retirement Community in Manhattan.
She was born on February 24, 1923, on the family homestead, the fifth child of Herman and Julia Roelfs, near Bushton, Kansas. She was baptized an infant in the Salem Methodist Church rural Bushton, and was an active member there during her youth. She attended the Bushton Rural Grade and High Schools, graduating in 1941. She attended Kansas State Agriculture College (now Kansas State University, she graduated with her Bachelors Degree in 1947 in Industrial Journalism. While at college she met her husband Victor K. Roper.
Alice and Victor were married on July 7, 1944. They moved to Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where Victor was stationed at Camp McCoy. Victor was deployed to the European Theatre in January 1945, where he was in active combat until peace was declared. When he returned in July 1946, they continued their education graduating in May 1947. Victor died March 1, 1994.
Victor and Alice joined the First Christian Church in Manhattan in 1946, and were active participants. Alice served in many areas, from nursery volunteer, Sunday School teacher, Deacon, Youth Sponsor and Elder, and officer of the Women’s Fellowship. She also was a Cub Scout and Girl Scout leader. She was active in the Fraternal Order of the United Commercial Travelers of Kansas and served two terms as Grand Counselor of Kansas, receiving Grand Honors. She also received Grand Counselor Honors of the Kansas Women’s Auxiliary of United Commercial Travelers.
Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Victor, her parents, and her brother, Harvey Roelfs and his wife Dortha (Elliot, Robert Roelfs and his wife (LaVera, sister Fern (Roelfs) Wilkin and husband Robert, sister Pearl Roelfs, daughter Nina (Roper) Hagerman-Moss, son James Roper, nieces Rosetta (Roelfs) Storment and Arnetta (Roelfs) Thiessen.
She is survived by her children: Barbara (Farrar) Kravitcz, of Manhattan, Dennis Roper and his wife Niki (Son, Jakarta, Indonesia. Also, her grandchildren, Dr. Christine Farrar and husband James French, of Mesa, Arizona, Dany Kravitcz Jr., of Holton, Kansas, Tommy Joe Hagerman, of Manhattan, Angela Moss, of Manhattan, Aisha Roper, of Melbourne, Australia; and great-granddaughter, Isabelle Pearl French, of Mesa, Arizona; her nephew, five nieces, two great nephews and nieces also survive.
Memorial Services will be held on Saturday January 25, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at the First Christian Church, 3001 Grand Mere Parkway in Manhattan. Private Inurnment will be held at a later date in the Sunrise Cemetery in Manhattan.
Memorial Funds are suggested to the First Christian Church or the Meadowlark Hills Good Samaritan Fund. Contributions may be left in care of the Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home, 1616 Poyntz Avenue, Manhattan, Kansas 66502.