Alice Huebner

MADISON - Alice Bast Huebner, age 94, passed away on February 1, 2013, at Agrace HospiceCare with one or more of her daughters at her side at all times.

Alice Katherine was born on October 25, 1918, in Rockfield, the daughter of Paul Jacob and Bertha Mantz Bast. Alice attended the University of Wisconsin, where she met and later was united in marriage to Frederick Charles Huebner of Beaver Dam on December 28, 1940. Alice and Frederick lived in Madison, Platteville, Madisonville, KY, and back to Madison in 1949 after Fred returned from military service during WW II. Many summer vacations were spent on Little Fork and Medicine Lakes near Three Lakes, WI with Alice's in-laws, and eventually Alice and Fred built a new summer home on the Medicine Lake family property. Alice and her beloved shelties continued to spend much of her summers for 21 years following Fred's death in 1992 in Three Lakes, enjoying annual visits from her grandchildren, great grandchildren and many friends. She continued the now 60-year family tradition of attending the Chapel in the Pines on Preacher's Point where her mother-in-law Laura Holtz Huebner had been the pianist and her daughter Ellen was married; where she "could see the tall pines, hear the loons calling and feel that God is with you."

Alice was a devoted mother and outstanding cook and took great pride in entertaining family and business associates. She was an avid reader and enjoyed traveling in western National Parks, Europe, and Australia. Since 1950, both Alice and her husband were active in Bethany Methodist Church as it grew and developed, with Alice teaching Sunday school and devoted to visiting elderly and/or sick members. She writes in her life story that her church and its many long-time members were a most important part of her life, especially after her husband passed on. Additionally, Alice volunteered for Project Head Start and was later hired as a Parent Worker. Alice described this experience as one of learning to accept each person where they are in life, assist them and have hope for a better life, and appreciate that many people are truly less fortunate than others through no fault of their own.

Alice is survived by three of four daughters, Mary (Fritz) Hasler of Lindon, UT, Anne Huebner of Three Lakes, WI and Ellen (Jerry) Desmond of Sebastopol, CA; six grandchildren, Geoffrey Desmond, Katherine Desmond, Anneliese (Brad) McDonald, Marta (Adam) DeBellis, Katherine (Chip) Jett, and Matthew (Amy) Hasler, and 9 great-grandchildren. She is further survived by her sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Jorge Bustamante of San Salvador, El Salvador, her sister-in-law Agnes (Paul) Bast, as well as many nieces and nephews and dear friends, including Bob Kirkpatrick.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Frederick Charles, her daughter, Laura Jean, a sister and brother-in-law Louise and Stanley Stokes, a brother Paul Bast, and her parents.

Funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, February 7 at Bethany United Methodist Church, 3910 Mineral Point Road, Madison, with lunch following. The family would like to thank the many caregivers at Agrace Hospice, the UW Carbone Cancer Center, Meriter Wisconsin Heart, and Oakwood University Woods Retirement Campus for contributing to our mother's quality of life to the very end.