Alice Puffer, 93

Alice was born in Protivin, Iowa on April 10, 1927 to Louis and Albina (Jestrab) Kostohryz. She fondly recalled growing up with her brothers Edwin and Raymond, farming and fishing during the day and then staying out late dancing at night. 

She met her husband, Frank, at a dance at the Inwood in Spillville, and they were married in 1945. Together they farmed near Conover, Iowa and raised three children, Ronald, Patricia and Betty. 

Alice kept busy with farm life, feeding calves, raising chickens, ducks and guineas and growing a big garden. She enjoyed cooking and baking and made wonderful homemade kolaches and rohliky. Whenever you would visit the farm, you could guarantee there would be a homemade treat to satisfy both her and your sweet tooth, like cookies or cake, and surely there was ice cream in the freezer. 

When not busy with farm life, Alice enjoyed polka dancing with Frank and listening to polka music, playing cards, reading magazines to collect recipes, watching cooking shows like Martha Stewart and spending time with her family, especially her granddaughters. She frequently had good luck at euchre and 500 and would humbly say, “You just have to play the cards as they come.” 

Alice will be lovingly remembered by her children, Ronald of Ridgeway, Iowa and Betty (Steve) Ragaller of Minneapolis, Minn.; son-in-law, Ken Smith of Springfield, Mo.; grandchildren, Carmen Broadbent of Springfield, Danielle (Ryan Fitzpatrick) Smith of Billings, Mont. and Sara (Zach) Helgeson, Terese (Tony) Baregi and Kathryn Ragaller, all of Minneapolis.

 She was preceded in death by her husband, Frank Puffer; daughter, Patricia Smith; parents, Louis and Albina (Jestrab) Kostohryz; and siblings, Raymond (Evelyn) Kostohryz and Edwin Kostohryz.