Alice C. Knepper, who departed this world on May 20, 2021, always said she had a wonderful life. Her life experiences and the love she gave to her family stand as a testament to this sentiment. Born on December 31,,1931, Alice was raised near the small town of Olive, Mo. where her parents, Dee and Catherine Hill, worked the land. She had five siblings: David preceded her in death, with survivors Freda Pyatt, Lowell Hill, Marcia Owen, and Sharon Dotson.

Alice was baptized early and remained guided and guarded by Christ’s love.

It was at the small country school where she met Andy Knepper, the love of her life, as they were just little kids. Geography separated them while Andy completed his education, but they found each other as he began his career as an engineer for MoDOT with a brief detour to service for his country in Korea. Alice and Andy wed in 1955 and moved to the St. Louis area where she worked for several businesses, completing her career at Citicorp.

During their time together, Andy and Alice traveled the world; making a trip to some far-flung place once a year. They loved flying over the countryside in Andy’s single-engine plane and enjoyed burgers and shakes on their weekly date night at Steak N’ Shake.

Upon retirement, Andy and Alice returned to Southwest Missouri and settled on a plot of land next to the James River where they entertained their family. They treated their many nieces and nephews as their own children. Andy and Alice loved hosting family events and did it as often as they could. While the plane was stored and the travel slowed, the Steak N’ Shake date nights remained a staple.

All great things would have to end. Andy preceded her in death in 2017. As often happens, life downsizes as we get older, but Alice’s personality and kindness to others did not. Until her final illness, Alice displayed a vibrancy and love for life. It was a wonderful life, indeed, and should be a lesson to all who read this to see every sight they can, reach for the sky, and never miss the opportunity for a milk shake.

There will be a graveside service for Alice at the Greenlawn North Cemetery and anyone who wants to share in the celebration of her life should call Greenlawn Funeral Home for details. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Ozarks Food Harvest in Alice’s name.