Alice L Gottsch

Alice Louise Thierolf was born August 10, 1928 in Omaha, the youngest of her parents’ four children. Affectionally called “Ally Lou” by her loved ones, Alice spent her formative years in Cedar Creek and graduated from Louisville High School. After receiving her diploma, Alice moved to the city to attend Capitol Beauty School and eventually found work in an Omaha salon. One night, while attending a dance in Springfield, Alice met Lyle Gottsch, shortly after his return from WWII. The couple married on Valentine’s Day in 1948 and Alice moved to the Gottsch family farm, thus cementing her new, albeit initially reluctant, life as a farmer’s wife. Together, Alice and Lyle had three children, Richard, Gary, Marcy, seven grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. After accumulating some savings while working as a lunch lady at Platteview High School, Alice opened her in-home beauty shop. From the late 1960s through the 1990s, Alice spent her days cutting, styling, perming, and setting the hair of many friends and family members. When not on the farm, Alice and Lyle enjoyed traveling with friends, vacationing in Mexico, Alaska, and Hawaii, among other places. Additionally, Alice and Lyle loved to spend time with friends and family on the farm, hosting many holidays and card nights. They also enjoyed being civically involved in the church, American Legion, Women’s Auxiliary, and Sarpy County Fair. From 2009 to 2011, Alice and Lyle resided at Trinity Assisted Living in Papillion as Lyle battled Parkinson’s disease. After Lyle’s death, the call to return to the family farm was too strong and Alice moved back to Springfield where she lived contentedly with her dog Pickles until passing away peacefully on February 26, 2021.