Alice Genevieve (Fosdick) Crane

Alice Genevieve (Fosdick) Crane passed away peacefully in her sleep Saturday, Sept. 26, 2015 at the age of 93.

She was born on Dec. 9, 1921 to Merrell and Mary Fosdick in North Freedom, Wisconsin.  She was the third of four girls that would be born into this family.  The family was poor, struggling at times to make ends meet during the depression.  During the summers she often went to live with her aunt, Leona, in Madison, Wisconsin.  Following a tragic fire which destroyed their home in North Freedom and all their belongings, the family moved to Chana, Illinois.

Alice attended high school in Chana where she was an above average student.  Although only 4’11” tall, she was spunky and loved the challenge of trying to conquer the tough subjects.  One of those subjects was Chemistry and passing that class proved to be a huge asset to her later. She graduated from high school in 1939.

Through the friendship of a Sunday school teacher Alice was converted as a thirteen year old girl.  This decision would influence the course of her life.

She attended Olivet Nazarene College in Kankakee, Illinois for two years. To put herself through school she worked in a defense factory assembling large canon shells for the World War 2 effort.  While attending college in Kankakee she heard about a new nursing program at Northwest Nazarene College in Nampa, Idaho, in association with the Samaritan Hospital.  She applied and was accepted into the nursing program, graduating as an RN in 1946.  Her classmates from her RN training remained her lifelong friends.

Upon graduation from nurses training she met her true love, Gordon Crane, who had recently returned from military service during the war.  They were married in August, 1946.  They would journey life together for 64 years before Gordon passed away in 2010.  To this union were born five children – Ron, Carol, Cindy, Carma and Cheri.

Alice dearly loved the nursing profession and was very gifted at it.  Throughout her lifetime she took care of many patients who were grateful for her loving nursing skills.

As a lifelong Christian she was faithful to her church and to her family.  She was a wonderful mother, cook and hostess.  She loved entertaining people in her home, which she did until she moved into an assisted living facility in 2014.  She was always supportive of anyone she perceived to be an “underdog.”

She was preceded in death by her husband – Gordon Crane; her father – Merrell Fosdick; her mother and stepfather – Mary and George Burns;

two sisters – Irene Gilroy and Evelyn Dommer. 

She is survived by one sister, Betty Withers, Rochelle, IL; five children – Ron (Cheryl) Crane, Nampa, ID; Carol (Paul) Dodd, Caldwell, ID; Cindy (Jim) Mount, Nampa, ID; Carma (Jack) Holland, Pleasant Grove, AL; and Cheri (Neil) Crane, Nampa, ID; 17 grandchildren and 34 great-grandchildren.

A public viewing will be hosted by the family at the Nampa Funeral Home – Yraguen Chapel on Sunday, Oct. 4 – from 3:00-5:00pm. A Funeral Service to honor and celebrate her life will be held at the Midway Bible Missionary Church, 3200 E. Ustick Road, Caldwell on Monday, Oct. 5 at 11:00am. Services are under the direction of the Nampa Funeral Home, Yraguen Chapel, 415 12th. Ave. So. – Nampa – 442-8171. An online guest book is available at www.nampafuneralhome.com.

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