Alene Freyer

Alene is survived by her children, Anne McCluskey of Arizona, Thom (Andrea Swanson) Freyer of Michigan, David Freyer of California and Kelley (Christopher) Reis of Georgia. Her legacy of service and grace continues within 9 grandchildren and 10 great-grandchildren.

She was born on July 27, 1922 in Ortonville, MN as the only child of Kelly and Maude Norton. She grew up in Milbank, SD and in 1940 graduated from Milbank High School in a class of 20. She attended Iowa State University in Ames, IA where she graduated as a Foods & Nutrition major and became a registered dietitian. Alene’s first job was managing the food service at a residence hall at the University of Iowa where she hired an earnest (and handsome) young undergraduate student, Don Freyer, after he returned from World War II. They married in 1948 and eventually had four children—Anne, Thom, David and Kelley. Alene worked as a hospital-based dietitian and was a respected, much-loved manager throughout her career until she retired in 1984. She spent the last two days of life with her four children at her bedside sharing memories of growing up, favorite family recipes, and personal expressions of love and caring.

Alene raised her children attending the United Methodist churches in Wheaton and Batavia, IL. After she and Don moved to Sun Lakes, AZ in 1985, she joined the Sun Lakes United Methodist Church. While in Arizona, they also enjoyed summer homes, first in Pine, AZ, called Gracehaven, and then in Pierson, MI on Big Whitefish Lake.

Alene enjoyed ceramics, plastic mesh needlepoint, knitting, and crocheting. She was notoriously skilled at bridge, right up to 4 days before she passed, at which time she informed Anne that she was done playing bridge because she and her partner had won again, and she intended to go out on top. In her last years, she enjoyed playing her electronic Solitaire game and working the daily Jumble. A special activity that held much meaning for Alene was PEO, an organization she joined in 1980 while in Batavia, IL, and supported through service and holding office, including charter member and Chapter President for two years here in Sun Lakes. As an extension of this, Alene established the “Don and Alene Freyer Scholarship” at Cottey College to enable the education of young women.

Alene enjoyed traveling. She and her husband Don loved to visit their children and grand-children around the country, and after retiring they traveled abroad visiting nearly every part of the globe.

In 2008, Alene and Don moved from their home on San Tan Blvd to the Renaissance Center, where they made many new friends. Although her physical strength and mobility gradually declined, especially following the death in 2015 of Don, her husband of 67 years, Alene remained alert, witty, a great sports fan, a woman of quiet and steadfast Christian faith, and someone whose friendship meant so much to both residents and care-giving staff at the Renaissance.

Memorial services were conducted at the Renaissance Center on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 and she will be laid to rest next to her husband at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix.

Arrangements under the direction of Valley of the Sun Mortuary & Cemetery, Chandler, AZ.