Arlyce Smith 07/28/2024

Arlyce Betty Elaine (Keiser) Smith, age 93 of River Falls, WI, passed away at Comforts of Home in River Falls on Sunday, July 28, 2024. Arlyce was born to Charles and Edith Keiser in Rush City, MN on December 11, 1930. At three months old, they moved into town. Arlyce asked Jesus into her heart when she was about 13 years old. She graduated from Rush City High School in May of 1949. Two weeks after graduating, she went to Hamline University for the summer and graduated from Mounds-Midway School of Nursing in June 1952. She worked for three years at Midway Hospital. On August 6, 1955, Arlyce married Harvey Smith and moved to Milaca, MN. (They were married for just over 40 years, before his death). After they had four children, (Thomas, the youngest one was adopted), Arlyce went to work at Princeton Hospital and Elim Home for a short time, then at the Milaca Hospital, and finally at the Milaca Elim Home, for 27 years, until her retirement in the fall of 1996. She then continued working on-call until the fall of 2000, when she was almost 70 years old. Arlyce was a volunteer at the Crisis Pregnancy Center and on the Board for a couple years. She was a member of the Bock Evangelical Free Church for several years, where she taught Sunday School and VBS, plus was a member of the Women’s Missionary Society. Later she was a member of the Milaca Evangelical Free Church. Arlyce moved to River Falls, WI in 2001, to be with her family. During that time, she did foster care for about five years. Then, she babysat for neighborhood children for eight years. Arlyce enjoyed reading, knitting, crocheting, quilting, and sewing. She knit over 700 hats for Operation Christmas Child boxes.
She is survived by her children, Pamela (Orv) Handy, Carol (Michael) Huseby, Charles (Jennifer) Smith; grandchildren, Hannah Fahs, Naomi (Scott) Annis, Elizabeth Handy, Laura Huseby, Evan Huseby, Erik (Cami) Huseby, Forrester Smith, Soleil (Zac) Rintoul, Lillie Smith, Paige Smith; four step grandchildren; great-grandchildren, Noah Helmueller, Elijah Helmueller, Olivia Shapro, Chloe Shapro, Kallen Lee, Averi Huseby, seven step great-grandchildren; brother, Blaine Keiser; sister-in-law, Yvonne Smith; numerous nieces and nephews. Arlyce is preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Edith Keiser; husband, Harvey Smith; son, Thomas Smith; siblings, Mildred, Alma, Raymond, Elvira “Auntie B”, Myrtle, Herbert, Clifford, Lorraine, Shirley.
A Funeral Service was held on Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 11:00AM at Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services (805 E Division Street, River Falls, WI 54022) with a visitation starting at 10:00AM. Interment was in Borgholm Cemetery in Bock, MN.  Arrangements are with Bakken-Young Funeral & Cremation Services.