Kimball Family - Ourfolk

Alice's step mother, Marjorie Beach's family owned ILLICO which was a string of Independant Gas stations in Illinois.
Marjorie wanted to make sure that Alice inherited her 1/3rd of Illlico when she died, so she formally adopted Alice in 1938.

Later, after Marjorie passed away, this proved to be quite helpful in asserting Marjorie's wishes over those of her other family members, who would be just as happy if the ownership stayed in the family.

Finally, about 1964, Illico was sold and Alice received the value for her inheritance. She gave a major part of this to her brother, Paul Kimball, so he could share in the inheritance.

- 'I tell your Pa I see now where sister Jo. got her name from.
They must have taken it from that old Sch. grandpa K. built in 1827.
It was common enough to name a vessel after a girl, why
not name a girl after a vessel!'

(Note: One of Wilbraham Kimball's schooners was named the Alice Josephine. This quote refers to her Aunt Alice Josephine Kimball (Stoddard).)

In the 1940 Census, Alice was living with her father George in Rich Township, Cook Co., Ill.

With daughters Anne and Becky

Alice Kimball Spooner, 85, Tempe, Ariz., passed away suddenly and peacefully March 17, 2008.

Alice was born June 19, 1922, in Lincoln, Ill., and grew up in Flossmoor, attending Thornton Township High School, from which she graduated at the age of 16.

During the mid 1920s, the Kimball family began summering in cottages on North Bay near Baileys Harbor, which was so reminiscent of their family home on Cape Cod. G.W. Kimball, Alice's father, eventually owned several North Bay cottages but in the mid-1930s, with the help of Oscar Smith, cleared forest pines and built Deepwood Cabin, the first cabin on North Bay to have indoor plumbing. The North Bay denizens of those years spent many nights in song and on Sunday nights serenaded the Gordon Lodge guests with musicals. Alice was the accordionist!

Alice attended Western College for Women in Oxford, Ohio, graduating in 1943 with a B.A. degree in Organ Performance and Voice. She then joined the United States Marine Corps Women's Reserves, attended Chaplaincy school at William and Mary College and served as a Staff Sergeant and Chaplain's assistant at Quantico, Cherry Point, N.C. and Miramar Air Station, San Diego, Calf. She served her country by conducting the base choirs for the Joint Chiefs of Staff and accompanying the likes of Benny Goodman and Ray Heatherton as they performed for the troops.

Alice met the love of her life, Marvin Floyd Spooner, in the Marines and married him December 1945 at his hospital bedside when he returned from the Philippines. While Mark was attending Hiram College in Hiram, Ohio, Alice taught eighth grade in Windham. During the summer months, Alice worked as a 'jelly' girl at Gordon Lodge, as well as in the box office at the Lake Cinema in Baileys Harbor. Mark also worked at Gordon's, however quit when asked to clean the tennis courts by hand with a scrub brush!

The Spooners moved east to Boston, where Alice earned her master's degree in English Literature from Boston University while Mark pursued his doctoral studies in Political History at Harvard University. In 1953, Alice and Mark had twin girls, Alden and Anne. Alice began her doctoral degree in Educational Administration at Harvard University in 1960, however, Mark's sudden death at age 34 prompted Alice to put aside her career plans and devote her time to her children. Alice and the girls moved to Lincoln, Ill., where Alice taught at Lincoln College. Through these difficult years, Alice made many personal sacrifices to assure that her beloved Deepwood Cabin on North Bay could always be called her family's home.

Alice moved to Tempe, Arizona, in 1964. She was an active member of the First Congregational Church, serving as secretary, choir member and organist for many years. Alice's volunteer contributions were many, including Girl Scouts, Meals on Wheels and tutoring at Head Start, accompanying the Tempe Senior Songbirds and the Village Harmonicats.

Always a sports fan, Alice especially enjoyed Arizona State University Sun Devil baseball, cheering on the Packers and was torn between allegiance to Tiger Woods and ASU's Phil Mickelson. As she grew older, she loved to watch Tiger while doing her NYT crossword puzzles, listening to NPR and talking to her daughters on the phone at the same time.

Alice, a lifelong Democrat, took her civic responsibilities very seriously and cast an informed vote in every state and federal election in her life. In fact, Alice donated personal letters from JFK to her husband to Lincoln College. Alice was declared by her grandchildren to be 'The World's Oldest Living Encyclopedia'; her voracious reading kept her up-to-date about all things political, grammatical, historical and hysterical.

While Alice and her family lived in Tempe, her log cabin on North Bay in Baileys Harbor was truly home. She often recalled that very special day in the early 60s when Kay and Petie Wilson drove out to North Bay and up the long driveway with an invitation to serve as the box office secretary for the Peninsula Music Festival. The token pay Alice would receive was just enough to make it possible for her to continue to bring her children to Door County and the festival didn't mind that she didn't have a phone. While there was no shower or running hot water in the cabin until the early 70s, Alice was always able to greet concert-goers freshly coifed with her cheery smile. Little did they know that she may have spent the afternoon trying to rescue a traveling musician stranded in a foreign city trying desperately to get to Fish Creek in time to perform or locating a missing instrument lost in transit.

In addition to serving as the Box Office Secretary for the PMF for more than 20 years, Alice also acted as the summer organist at the Ephraim Moravian Church for almost 30 years, until her feet couldn't pedal as fast as her fingers could play. Alice particularly loved the Sundays when the Peninsula Music Festival brass choir played between services. She found it so thrilling to hear the music resonating out across the bay.

Alice was devoted to the Peninsula Music Festival and felt truly privileged to eventually serve on the Board of Directors. She adored the Orchestra members, each and every one, and relished every moment she shared with them, whether it was at a rehearsal, at 'half time,' or at a fish boil or picnic. As she grew older, Alice loved being able to serve as a 'hall monitor' and have a private chance to visit with Victor, whom she adored, and all of the orchestra families.

Alice was a steadfast believer in the utmost importance of the relationship between summer and permanent residents. She strove to be sure that all her summer friends knew how much she cared for them and for Door County. She was passionate about the county's preservation both ecologically and historically, a treasured retreat to be respected and protected.

Alice is survived by her daughter, Alden Rebecca (Becky) Spooner, and her son, Mark Onsager, Tempe, Ariz., and her daughter, Anne, husband, Larry, and sons, Elliott, Carter and Alden, Santa Barbara, who will continue the family's 80-year tradition of summers in Door County.

Please join us to celebrate Alice's life, first at the Peninsula Music Festival's Opening night on August 5. A joy-filled commemorative event will be held at the Ephraim Moravian Church at 6 p.m. Wednesday, August 6, followed by a festive dinner (soiree, as Alice would say) at Alexander's.

To celebrate our mother's memory, we would ask you to be kind and genuinely interested in someone today, be curious about the world around you, write a note to someone (by hand if possible; Mom hated e-mail), read a book on a topic that challenges you or takes you on a faraway adventure, sing a song and, always, be of good cheer!

If you wish to make a monetary remembrance in Alice's name, please do so to the Peninsula Music Festival, P.O. Box 340, Ephraim,WI 54211. www.musicfestival.com. She would be well pleased and truly grateful.