Alice Malde, age 95, of Brookings, passed away on Friday, June 9, 2017, at the United Living Community in Brookings.  Services will be held at 10:30 A.M. on Friday, June 16, 2017, at the Gracepoint Wesleyan Church in Brookings.  Interment will occur at 3 P.M. at the Mt. Vernon Cemetery in Mt. Vernon, South Dakota.  Visitation will be held from 5:00 to 7:00 P.M. on Thursday, June 15, 2017, at Eidsness Funeral Home.

Alice Lovdahl Malde, the daughter of Knut and Alice (Sorensen) Lovdahl was born on March 1, 1922 in Milwaukee Wisconsin.  She was the 4 th of 6 children. Her father died when she was 8 years old and her mother died when she was 18.  She and her older brothers kept the family together by helping to finish raising their 10 and 12 year old siblings.  On November 29 th , 1947, she married her beloved husband, Lloyd Malde, and they moved 600 miles from her Milwaukee family to a farm in Mt Vernon, South Dakota to start a new life.  They raised 3 daughters.  Lloyd died in 1988.

She loved people and had the gift of hospitality, always ready to put the coffee pot on or share a meal, having Bible Studies in her home, telling childhood stories, setting a pretty table with candles for company, knitting baby booties until she was 94, holding babies in the church nursery in her 80's, writing letters, voting in the next election, talking and laughing with the Tuesday lunch ladies, and spending time with family.  Interaction with people always energized her.

In 2005, she moved to Brookings to be closer to her daughters and lived 10 years at Sunchase, loving her apartment, still able to have people over for coffee or a meal. She moved to ULC in 2015.

Her story is a testimony of God's wonderful faithfulness. She trusted Him through some very difficult times and came through those times with courage, humor and love.  We thank God for her and His grace that carried her through.

She taught us: don't feel sorry for yourself, get your mind off yourself by doing good things for others, count your blessings and be thankful. Even in her last days, she would pray for others and look for ways to show God's love and ask forgiveness if she felt she had wronged someone.  We are blessed and thankful for her life.

Alice is survived by: daughters: Judy (Del) Johnson, Jeanne (Denny) VanDyke, Lois (Darrell) Olson; grandchildren: Erik (Melinda), Marin, Jennifer (Kory), Megan (Brandon), Carl (Kara), Ben (Hannah), Mark and Michael; step grandsons: Brock (Liz) Van Dyke, Brooks (Stacey) Van Dyke; great-grandchildren: Ethan, Ellie, Lars, Kiersten, Josh, Sarah, Anna, Jacob, Ellie, Cohen, Haddie, Evie, and Nella; step-great-grandchildren: Jack, Mason, Briggs, Vada, Cyrus and Jace; many nieces and nephews; and honorary grandson: Mike Qiu.

She was preceded in death by her husband, Lloyd, and all of his siblings and their spouses, Alice's siblings and their spouses, as well as a son-in-law: Rick Jones.

Alice's family would like to extend special thanks to the United Living Community, as well as Compassionate Care Hospice for their exceptional care of their loved one in her time of need.