Alyce Louise Arterburn

June 11, 1925--Sept. 27, 2005

IMPERIAL -- Alyce Louise Arterburn, 80, long-time Chase County resident, registered nurse and community volunteer, died Tuesday (Sept. 27, 2005) at Chase County Community Hospital, where she spent most of her nursing career.

Alyce, also known as "Shorty," was born to John and Louis (Nitler) Erthum at Sutton on June 11, 1925. She grew up in Ravenna and graduated from Ravenna High School in 1943, before attending St. Francis School of Nursing in Grand Island, where she received her diploma as a registered nurse, an educational path she often encouraged others to take. She worked as a registered nurse in Grand Island before moving with her friend, Lee Porter, to Imperial where she and Lee met Roley E. Arterburn and Gene Morland.

Alyce married Roley on Feb. 1, 1950, in Imperial. She worked as an RN at the old Chase County Community Hospital, as well as the current hospital facility. She served as Director of Nursing from 1981 until retiring in 1990.

She was preceded in death by her parents; two sisters, Opal Gray and Eunice Biggs; as well as her only brother, Tommy, who was killed in action in Italy during World War II.

Survivors include her husband, Roley E.; daughter, Mary Wintz of Denver, Colo.; sons, Roley W. of Lamar, John and Cindy of Imperial; and Joe and Cathy of Sidney; nine grandchildren, Adam Wintz of Costa Mesa, Calif., Kate Wintz of San Francisco, Calif., Carly Arterburn of Hastings, Pete and Lindsey Arterburn of Lake Bluff, Ill., Paul Arterburn of Topeka, Kan., Tom Arterburn of Imperial, and Hunter, Jack and Sam Arterburn of Sidney; two sisters, Doris Stubbs of Ravenna and LaVonne Johnson of The Dalles, Ore.

Alyce spent her life helping others -- family, friends and patients. She touched thousands of people through her friendship, pervading sense of humor and through her work as an RN, to which she brought professionalism and caring in times of birth, illness and death.

A community volunteer, she served on the Imperial Manor Board of Directors during the planning and construction of Imperial Heights, an achievement for which she was particularly proud.

Her love for her husband, children and grandchildren held first place in her heart.

Services will be Monday, Oct. 3, 10:30 a.m., at the First United Methodist Church in Imperial. The Rev. Murray Schmechel and the Rev. Kay Alnor will officiate.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Alyce Arterburn Memorial Nursing Scholarship Fund.

Liewer Funeral Home of Imperial is in charge of arrangements.