Alice Branine

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Alice M. Branine, 83, of Holabird, passed away Saturday, August 29, 2015 at Highmore Health.

Funeral services were held at 10:30 a.m., Saturday, September 5, 2015 at the United Methodist Church, Highmore with Pastor Roger Day officiating. Burial followed in the Highmore Cemetery. Visitation was held one hour prior to the services at the church.

Alice Marie Wohlschlegel was born at home in Harper on April 22, 1932 to Benjamin and Mary Evelyn (Hooper) Wohlschlegel. She was the sixth of nine children. Alice grew up in the Harper and Manning Ks area.   Alice's family moved to the Manning area in 1935 when Alice was 3. Alice attended grade school in Manning KS, in Scott County and when she finished 8th grade she moved back to Harper in 1946. She attended Harper High School and graduated in 1950. Following graduation she moved to Wichita and worked for Southwestern Bell Telephone. It was about this time she met up with a handsome man, Dean Branine. Things went well, Dean being the charming gentleman that he was. And 8 weeks later Dean and Alice were married on February 25, 1951.To this union 3 children were born, Karol, Kenny and Kay. Dean at that time was farming in South Dakota and spending winters in Kansas. Dean and Alice continued to travel to South Dakota to farm and return to Kansas during the winter time. It was here they started their family and Karol was born in Kansas. Dean and Alice made Holabird, South Dakota their permanent home in 1957 and their family became complete with the birth of Kenny and Kay.

Anyone who knew Alice understood that she wasn't afraid of hard work, taking care of her duties as a farm wife, helping raise the children and "occasionally" giving you her two cents. At Alice's kitchen table no one ever went away hungry. She fed many including harvest crew and hired hands on the farm. She was known for the best fried chicken and all the fixings, and top that off with her famous butterscotch pie.

She enjoyed many years with her bowling league friends, golf buddies, Red Hats group and work with Republican Committee and served as an alternate voting delegate to the 1984 National Republican Convention in Dallas, TX and yearly winter trips as Snowbirds with Dean to Yuma, AZ.

Survivors include her loving husband of 64 years, Dean of Holabird,SD; three children, daughter, Karol Pykiet of Wichita, KS; son, Kenneth Branine and wife Sandy of Harrold, SD; daughter, Kay Gill and husband, Steve of Fredonia, KS. Grandchildren, Clayton Pykiet and wife Jessica of Wichita, KS; Drew Pykiet of Tulsa OK; Cody Grindle and wife Laura of Liberal KS; Alicia Perry and husband Derek of Hays KS; Shawn Branine of Harrold, SD. Great grandchildren, Audrie Grindle and Zane Pykiet; brothers, Robert Wohlschlegel and wife Joann; Dale Wohlschlegel and wife Jody; sister, Nancy Mortimer and husband Norman, all from Harper, KS; brother-in-law, Elmer Naasz of Wellington, KS; numerous nieces and nephews, and an enormous wealth of very good friends.

Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Benjamin and Mary Evelyn (Hooper) Wohlschlegel; sisters, Mary Jane Wohlschlegel, Irene Naasz, Joy Clements, and her husband Elden, Edith Reida and her husband Gale, and Wm. D. Wohlschlegel; nephew, Gary D. Naasz; and niece, Cherle Wohlschlegel.

Family, friends, and neighbors will miss stopping in for a chat, impromptu trips to the casino, going fishing, always having enough food to feed an army and yes, "occasionally" getting her two cents worth.

Memorials are directed to the Highmore Senior Center, 103 Iowa S., Highmore, SD 57345.

Luze Funeral Home of Highmore has been entrusted with Alice’s arrangements.