Alice Reiser, age 86, of Carroll, passed away on Thursday, May 8, 2025, at St. Anthony Nursing Home in Carroll.
Mass of the Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, May 17, 2025, at St. Lawrence Church – St. John Paul II Parish in Carroll. The celebrant will be Father Patrick Behm. Lectors are Kendra Santiago and Ashley Hanke. Gift Bearers will be Claire Weber, Maria Sosa and Karlie Morgan. Casket Bearers are Matthew Heitmann, Justin Reiser, Paige Weber, Naomi Suarez, Tyler Morgan and Freddy Pelayo. Graveside services will be at 2:00 p.m. at St. Rose Catholic Cemetery in Denison. Visitation will be from 9:30 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. on Saturday at the church prior to the mass.
Funeral arrangements are under the guidance of the Sharp Funeral Home in Carroll and online condolences may be left for Alice’s family at www.sharpfuneral.com. Memorial donations may be left at the church for later designation by the family.
Alice Agnes Reiser was the first child born to Wilfred “Swede” Schwarte and Lavina Leinen Schwarte on Oct. 22, 1938. Raised on a farm near Earling, Iowa, she was baptized, confirmed, and graduated in 1956 from St. Joe’s Catholic Church and School. Alice then worked as a nanny for many families since she loved children. She was never without a job!
On April 21, 1958, at the age of 19, Alice married Ronald Reiser, a farmer near Arion. She was blessed with six children. Alice worked hard at being a farm wife and could run any machine on the farm, except the combine. She cared for the cattle, hogs, sheep, chickens, and milking cows. Alice did all the tasks a farmer does from dusk ‘til dawn.
Alice loved being outside and took great pride in her gardening and flowers. She loved making her farm a show place, often painting old tires to make into planters.
Alice was always volunteering. For many years she lovingly cared for all the flowers inside and outside of St. Rose of Lima Church in Denison. She also planted and maintained the new landscaping of Father Kelly’s new patio. Alice was a weekly pie baker and served lunch for Bingo.
Alice had many titles over the years: President of St. Rose of Lima Guild, Master Gardener, President of the Crawford County Porkettes, President of the Crawford County Garden Club, and Dietary Supervisor at Denison Care Center. She was also a member of the Catholic Daughters of the Americas.
After working at Earl May Garden Center until they closed their doors, Alice started her own business called Alice’s Country Gardens, which was a tremendous success. Her green thumb was quite apparent in her beautiful flower beds that graced her acreage, at which she hosted several garden walks and family reunions.
Alice married Gene Swanson on March 2, 1985. They had eight happy years together before he passed away in 1992. Then in 2001 Alice remarried Ron Reiser. After retiring from landscaping, they moved to Carroll, IA. Ron passed in 2017.
Donating blood was a constant endeavor of Alice’s, and she was proud to say that she had been celebrated as being an eighteen-gallon blood donor. She would have continued if she hadn’t been diagnosed with AFIB.
She became active with RSVP (Retired Senior Volunteer Program) in Carroll where she found some new talents in singing and telling jokes at nursing homes. For four years she enjoyed bringing laughter to the many residents. When she wasn’t actively entertaining, Alice was coloring decorations for the residents’ doors to brighten their day.
Alice’s free time was spent playing cards with friends, doing diamond paintings, and working outside with her flowers. She loved mowing her lawn and taking care of her yard. Her family was very important to her, and she was happiest when any of them came to visit, where they would often be treated to a pumpkin bar or piece of pie. Alice loved feeding her family!
She is survived by her six children: Diane Reiser of Nickerson, NE; Jim (Denise) Reiser of Arion, IA; Colleen (Mike) Heitmann of Montezuma, IA; Bob (fiancée Tina) Reiser of West Des Moines, IA; Lori (Marty) Weber of Cedar Rapids, IA; and Lisa (Jeremy) Morgan of Carroll, IA; from which she was blessed with fourteen grandchildren, of which twelve grandchildren survive her: Alissa Reiser, Kendra (Neftali) Santiago, Ashley (Josh) Hanke, Courtney Reiser, Justin (Emily) Reiser, Kristin (Ander) Olsen, Matthew (Lacie) Heitmann, Paige Weber, Claire Weber, Regan Weber, Karlie Morgan, and Tyler Morgan. She has fourteen great-grandchildren: Alicia Pelayo, Freddy Pelayo, Maria Sosa, Vianca Carmona, Alisandra Carmona, Naomi Suarez, Kasey Suarez, Oliver Santiago, Noe Santiago, Jon Chase, Peyton Hanke, Paisley Reiser, Lane Reiser, and Kaia Olsen. Surviving siblings are Jerry (Starr) Schwarte, Ken (Rose) Schwarte, Sally Lass and Connie (Rod) Summerfield, and sister-in-law Becky Schwarte.
Alice was preceded in death by her parents Wilfred and Lavina Schwarte; a stepfather Ivo Blum; husbands Gene Swanson and Ron Reiser; brothers Larry Schwarte and Glenn Schwarte; and grandchildren Jon Kasey Chase and Kayla Reiser.
