Alice Laverne Harriger

Alice Laverne (Hedman) Harriger October 11, 1929 - June 3, 2012 Beloved wife, mother, and grandmother, Alice Harriger, 82, went home to be with her Savior on June 3, 2012. Alice was born to Ernest and Esther (Gunther) Hedman in Newton, Kansas on October 11, 1929. She was the oldest of seven siblings, four girls, and three boys. As a young girl, she moved to Bakersfield, CA, where she attended local schools, including East Bakersfield High School. After high school, she traveled to Omaha, Nebraska where she attended Grace Bible Institute and met her sweetheart, Charles "Chuck" Harriger. In 1950, she and Chuck were married in Bakersfield where they started a business, Chuck's Appliance Service, and raised a family of four children. Although she never realized her dream of becoming a school teacher, each of her children became teachers, and she became very involved in the Fairfax and Foothill parent clubs. She was also "Nana" to eight treasured grandchildren who were her pride and joy. Alice was very active in church activities including teaching Sunday-School, Vacation Bible School, and directing the children's Christmas program. She was very gifted at sewing and made clothes and other home decor for her daughters, herself, and various family members. In the early days of their marriage, she sewed shirts for Chuck as well as sewing many costumes, dresses, and school clothes for their children. She excelled at managing the family business including bookkeeping and service call records. She also enjoyed gardening and tended daily to her assortment of tropical plants and flowers. She made holidays a grand event for her family, filling individual Christmas stockings for each child, young and grown, and making Easter baskets for the kids to find on Easter Sunday. Alice had a strong spirit of adventure. She followed her heart, engaging in daring experiences such as taking her daughter, Charlice, to the Beatles concert in Los Angeles during the 1960's and flying to Spain in the 1980's to travel with daughter, Jan, throughout Europe. She supported her sons Mark and Kevin's pursuits by taking home movies (on super 8 film) of their football games and selling hot dogs in the snack bar. She loved traveling with her husband, friends, and family. She and Chuck visited the Hawaiian Islands 27 times throughout their 62 year marriage. Hawaii was her favorite place in the world. While visiting the islands, she thoroughly enjoyed watching the hula shows and even took hula lessons herself. She loved seeing the waterfalls and volcanos and could not get enough of shopping at Hilo Hattie's. A sign at the condo where she and Chuck stayed stated, "You never really leave a place you love." We know that Alice's memory will always be present in Hawaii, because it was truly a place she loved with all her heart. Toward the end of her life, Alice struggled with cancer, and her daughter, Charlice, accompanied her to many doctor's appointments. Despite the hardship of her illness, she still insisted on her Saturday outings to get her hair done and to shop at Green-Frog Market. She adored apricots, peaches, and ice cream, especially vanilla with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. Chuck was able to keep Alice home during her hospice care which enhanced the quality of her life during her final days. The family wishes to thank the dedicated care-givers and medical professionals who cared for our mom during her extended illness. Years ago, Alice lost an infant baby, Timothy Harriger, who she is now with in Heaven. On this earth, she leaves behind her husband, Chuck Harriger, and four children, Charlice Brown, Mark Harriger, Jan Clark, and Kevin Harriger. Alice is also survived by eight grandchildren, Corey Brown, Andy Brown, Brad Harriger, Lorraine Newton, David Harriger, Tracy Santoyo, Joseph Harriger, and Karen Harriger. In addition, she is survived by two sisters, Arveda Buller and Shirley Hirst, and three brothers, Tom, Richard, and Floyd Hedman. Alice accepted Jesus as her savior during her youth and trusted the Lord throughout her life. She was deeply loved by her family and friends, and we will miss her very much. Aloha Nui loa, Mom. We wish you much love and a fond farewell, until we meet again. Visitation will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. on Thursday, June 7, 2012 at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary and funeral services will be at 2 p.m. on Friday, June 8, 2012 also at Hillcrest Memorial Park and Mortuary. The service is open to the public.