Alice Okonek

Alice (Brooks) Okonek passed away on November 10, 2020 at the age of 91.  The fourth of six children, she was born October 23, 1929 in Frederic, WI to Helen (Johnson) and Henry Blood.  After graduating from Frederic High School in 1947 she attended business school in Eau Claire before pursuing her true calling: a teaching degree at Superior State College.  She taught for several years in Siren, McKinley, the Town of Scott and at St Francis de Sales.  For the next 70 years she would still remember the names of so many of her students and fondly tell stories from her classroom days.

Alice met Don Okonek at the Indian Creek dance hall and they were married in 1952.  They built their home and raised their children on the family farm at Big McKenzie Lake.  In 1966 they purchased the Vic's Cottages resort and operated it for 30 years.  Alice resumed her involvement in education by serving on the Spooner School Board for 11 years.  Her interests were many from her church involvement in CCW and teaching catechism, to quilting and canoeing the Namekagon river.

Alice is survived by her three children: Cindy (Vic) Perger of Spokane WA, Jerry (Linda) Okonek of the Town of Scott, and Jean (Terry) Ranney of Hudson, WI;  six grandchildren: Allison Ashley, Stephanie Avery, Dan Okonek, Cathy Furgason, Heather Okonek and Kyle Okonek;  8 great-grandchildren: Isabelle, Declan and Liesel Ashley, Eleanor, Jackson, Greta and Creed Furgason and Whitney Okonek. Alice was looking forward to the arrival of another great-granddaughter in December.  She is also survived by two sisters: Edna Cahoy of Hudson, WI and Arlene Mrkonich of Minnetrista, MN and many nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents and step-father (Martin Peterson), two brothers (Walter Brooks and Wayne Brooks), a sister (Doris McMahon) and a grandson, Trevor Okonek.

Due to the current COVID situation, a small family service is planned for Saturday November 14, 2020 at Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary Catholic Church in the Town of Scott with burial in the Sacred Hearts cemetery.  Our family will host a celebration of Mom's  life for family and friends at a future date when the weather warms and we can all gather together safely.  We hope you can all join us then!

We'd like to thank the staff at Glenview Assisted Living for welcoming her into their "family".   Also a big thank you to the doctors and nurses at Spooner Health for their compassionate care.

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