Alice Karsjen

ALICE MARIE POHLMAN KARSJENAlice Karsjen, 80, longtime Rhodes resident, died Friday, March 16, at the Marshalltown Medical and Surgical Center.Memorial services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Monday, March 19, at the Rhodes United Methodist Church with Pastor Brent DeSilva officiating. She will be laid to rest in the Eden Cemetery at Rhodes. Visitation with the family will be held from noon until the service time. Memorials may be directed to the family. For condolences, please visit www.mitchellfh.com. The Mitchell Family Funeral Home is caring for Alice and her family. Ph: 641-844-1234.Alice Marie Pohlman was born to Fred and Gertrude (Mein) Pohlman on a farm west of Ackley, Iowa. She attended the Country School Osceola #9 and graduated from Ackley Public School in 1949. She was a member of St. Johns Evangelical and Reformed Church in Ackley. On June 17, 1949, she married LaVern Karsjen, Sr. They made their home in Rhodes, Iowa, for many years.Alice worked at Principal Financial Group in Des Moines for 28 years. She earned the designation FLMI (Fellow Life Management Institute). She belonged to the Central Iowa Society of Records Managers and Administrators (ARMA) and was on the Board of 10 years. She was a member of the Rhodes United Methodist Church and was active in the Rhodes SSSS Study Club. She served on the Board of the Historical Society of Marshall County for four years. As a member of the Rhodes Historical Society, she published The Rhodes Tribune for seven years and wrote the column From the 4-Way Stop Sign. For several years, she wrote a column for The Enterprise, The Simple Joys, and the Marshall County Sun. Once she moved to Ames, she contributed to the monthly newsletter at The Rose of Ames. After her move to Southridge Nursing and Rehabilitation in Marshalltown, she wrote columns for their monthly newsletter.Alice enjoyed her family, flower gardens, writing, photography, and traveling. She was a member of the Rhodes United Methodist Church. One of her proudest achievements was the successful writing of the grant that secured the Rhodes Trailhead Park.She is survived by her daughter, Linda Wells of Des Moines, and sons Vern (Jennie) Karsjen, Jr., Rhodes; Dennis (Jackie) Karsjen, Conrad; David (Kim) Karsjen, State Center; and Steve (DeArliss) Karsjen, Nevada; nine grandchildren and 19 great grandchildren.She was preceded in death by a son, Richard Karsjen, in 1975, her husband, LaVern Sr., in 1999, and her parents.