Alice J. Story

Alice Joan Story of Caldwell, Idaho, age 85, passed away from natural causes on Tuesday, December 17, 2019. Memorial services will be held at 10 am, Monday, January 6th, at the Flahiff Funeral Chapel,624 Cleveland Blvd, Caldwell, ID 83605. She decision for cremation was under the direction of Flahiff Funeral Chapel, Caldwell. The inurnment reunitement was completed December 27th which was her late husband, William G. Story’s birthday. Alice was born on September 17, 1934, in Omaha, Nebraska, a daughter of Laura Emma Jane and Joseph Franklin Rhoades. Alice Joan was preceded in death by her parents, her husband, Bill, an infant brother, Eugene Earl and his twin sister, Loretta Pearl, and a sister Donna Jean. She is survived by her younger sister, Neva Chase, a daughter, Brenda Sue (Story) LaDue, a grandson, Jayson W. Phelan and his three sons, Alice’s great-grandsons, Christian, Kellen and Jonathan Phelan, followed by another grandson, Robert J. Phelan and his wife, Sarah, and their four children, Carson, Claire, Connor and Carter Phelan as well as numerous nephews, nieces and cousins. Alice Joan’s earliest years were spent in the Nemaha and Omaha, Nebraska area where she attend her elementary school years with her sisters. One of the fondest memories shared throughout the family was Alice’s determination to find opportunities to babysit for family and friends. After several years an many hours of babysitting and saving her money, Alice bought a piano for her mother and her sisters. To this day, her sister and cousins remember the evenings of Alice’s mother playing that piano and all the sisters singing into the night. At the age of 13, Alice and her sisters suddenly and unexpectedly lost their mother. Without having a family that could take in all the girls, they were sent to live with different Aunts and Uncles throughout the country. Alice and her sister, Donna, came to Idaho to live with their Aunt Clara and Uncle Glenn Gergens in Twin Falls. Alice graduated from Twin Falls High School in 1952. After graduation, Alice’s adventurous spirit led her to working in retail clothing and for an insurance company adjusting claims in Portland, Oregon. It was there that she met a young member of the Air Force who was on leave and visiting the Portland area with some of his military buddies. The young man in the Air Force, Bill Story, became the love of her life and they were married in July 1955. The next adventure for the young couple was a relocation to Pocatello, Idaho, where Bill entered Pharmacy School at Idaho State University and Alice worked at an insurance company to help her husband complete his dream of becoming a pharmacist. Alice always had a passion for supporting the community, health care events and education. One of her proudest achievements was dedicating her time to the Women’s Century Club in Nampa, Idaho, where she served as their Club President in 1976. In 1979, after her daughter, Brenda, headed off to college, Alice went back to school and became a Medical Transcriptionist and Coder at West Valley Medical Center. This was a wonderful time for Alice to work alongside of her husband, Bill, who also worked at West Valley as their Director of Pharmacy. Alice continued in her medical career until her retirement in 1998. After her retirement, Alice volunteered in the reading program at Van Buren Elementary School. Alice enjoyed golfing with her husband and family friends and had an eagerness for getting out on the ocean waters to enjoy cruises throughout the Caribbean and Alaska. In her later years, she claimed she had “one more cruise” left in her and so her daughter, Brenda, and son-in-law, Thomas, took her on one more cruise. Alice had asked to see as many countries as possible that she’d never seen so their cruise took them from Denmark, to Estonia, Finland, Sweden and Russia. Alice’s family wishes to extend heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for everyone who provided care to her starting at West Valley Medical Center, Caldwell, and ending at the Stroke Center at St. Alphonsus, Boise, and a special thanks to family and friends for all your love, kindness and support. Alice kindly suggests, in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions be made to the William G and Alice J Story Memorial Scholarship Endowment, Idaho State University Foundation, 921 S. 8th Avenue, Stop 8050, Pocatello, ID. 83209-8050, phone (208) 282-3470. This endowment provides annual scholarships to pharmacy students who are residents of Idaho. This legacy honors Alice’s passion for health care and for education.