Alice Ridlon

Alice was born on July 25, 1912 in St. Cloud, MN to the late Nellie and Andrew Anderson just three weeks after immigration from Norway. Her family lived in St. Cloud and later Hill City before making Little Falls their permanent home when she was seven. She completed her 12th grade of education in Little Falls, MN. After high school she worked at Methener’s Dime Store and Bell’s Café until her marriage to Robert Ridlon on November 23, 1932. The couple resided in Little Falls until 1941 when they moved to Belle Prairie Township, making that property their life long home. Alice was a “help mate” to her husband, a loving mother to their family of four, and caregiver to others who made their home with them for periods of time. She loved to cook, was a very accomplished seamstress, whether it was a grain binder canvas that needed mending or a fine fabric garment, always had a large gardens that produced enough for 2,000 quarts or more every year. Baking was a specialty which eventually grew into a 40 year wedding cake business for her a self taught decorator, she enjoyed the challenge of whatever a soon-to-be bride would expect of her. Alice enjoyed what she was doing and did it well. At age 80, because of failing eyesight, she tearfully closed and locked the door of her baking room, and as she said, threw away the key to avoid temptation to fulfill further requests of by then a second generation of her customers. Had there been time to do so, she would have enjoyed doing more travel than had been possible; one of those highlights was a trip to her parents native Norway at age 85. Complicated by fall resulting in a knee injury that limited what she could do, her trip was still was still most memorable thanks to travel mates that did whatever it took to provide assistance. She never forgot her ride down the ski lift of Lillehammer’s Olympic ski hills, the scenic beauty of Fjord’s , or those than enabled her to make the most of the trip. Continued decline of eyesight forced her to give up her independent living and for the past seven years Alice made her home with their daughter until recent health issues made it necessary to do otherwise. Alice is survived by daughter, Dorothy Lindquist of Little Falls, MN; sons, Bennie (Jacquelyn) Rildon of Marshall, MN, Leonard Ridlon of Little Falls, MN, and Walter (Janet) Ridlon of Little Falls, MN; brother Norris (Betty) Anderson of Little Falls, MN; grandchildren, Roger Lindquist of Little Falls, MN, JoAnn (Lindquist) Johnson of Little Falls, MN, Tammy (Ridlon) Bulowski and husband David of Marshall, MN, Karen Ridlon of Marshall, MN, Scott (Charlene) Ridlon of St. Cloud, MN, Alice (Ridlon) Fiest and husband Robert of Little Falls, MN, and Gregg (Dana) Ridlon of Rochester, MN; great grandchildren, Jesse Johnson, Megan Bukowski, Lukas Bukowski, Tanner Bukowski, John Ridlon, Ethan Ridlon, Cynda Feist, Patrick Feist, Kerri Feist, Sarah Feist, Alexander Feist; great-great grandchildren, Christopher Foust, Aidan Foust, and Mathea Ridlon. Alice is preced in death by, parents, Andrew Anderson (1953) and Nellie Anderson (1984); siblings, Nels (1992), Margaret (1983), Walter (1946), Palmer (1948), Nellie (2006), and Charles Stone (2008).

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Alice Ridlon

July 25, 1912 - May 24, 2008