Alice Marie Schenck

Alice was born Saturday, August 9th, 1930 in Willmar, Minnesota, the daughter of Bertha Marie Poferl (née Sletten), a housewife, and Philo Christian Schenck, a railroad locomotive fireman. Alice was their only child.

Alice had two older half-brothers, William Hahn and Eugene Poferl, two younger half-brothers, Kenneth and Richard Schenck, and three stepsisters, Kathyrn, Florence, and Margy Johnson.

Raised by her grandparents, William & Tabitha Schenck on the Schenck family farm in West Point, Iowa, Alice attended high school in nearby Denmark, Iowa, graduating in 1948. After high school, Alice continued her education by attending the Burlington School of Commerce, and after graduating worked as a secretary in several businesses in Burlington and Ft. Madison, Iowa.

In 1957, Alice and her life partner Janice Beeney moved to Oregon, where she worked as an engineering secretary in Portland for several years. As a reflection of her kind spirit seeking to help others, Alice decided upon a career change. With the support of Janice, in the late 1950s she began training to become a Registered Nurse at Portland's Emmanuel Hospital School of Nursing. After graduation, Alice worked as an RN at hospitals in the Portland area until 1970, when she became a home healthcare nurse with the Visiting Nurse Association. Alice worked with the Portland VNA as an RN until her retirement.

Alice loved animals of all descriptions, especially her many beloved cats, and became involved in the animal welfare and rights movement during the mid-1970s. She stayed involved with Animal Aid, Inc. of Portland through the years, and personally helped rescue and care for over 200 cats.

A memorial service for Alice will be held on Saturday, March 4th at 1:00pm at Trinity Lutheran Church in Gresham.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation in Alice's name to either Animal Aid (http://animalaidpdx.org/) or Trinity Lutheran Church (https://tlcgresham.com/).