Details

Collection Summary
Collection: FND001 - SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Series: Tribute
Folder: DIG
Item: 03361
Title: Tessie A. Aleson
Date: 1918 - 2007
Creator:
Inscription/Marks: 1/22/1918
Summary: Tessie Ann (Buchele) Aleson of Bismarck, passed from this life on March 3, 2007, at the age of 89. A celebration of her life was held on Tuesday, March 6, at First United Methodist Church in Bismarck with Rev. Walter Schott officiating. Interment will be at Fairview Gardens in Wahpeton. Tessie Ann Buchele was born on January 22, 1918, in Butler, SD, the youngest of eight children (three of whom died in infancy). She graduated from Butler High School in 1936. Following a year at business college, she worked for Policy Holders National Life Insurance Company before heading to Western Union College in Le Mars, IA, for their two-year teacher training program, graduating in 1940. After teaching at Lester, IA, Tessie married her college sweetheart, Ardell “Al” Aleson, on June 9, 1943, at Butler, SD, a union that would endure under his death in March of 1999. Tess Aleson was a devoted, supportive spouse of her clergy husband throughout their married life. They served together in a variety of locations, beginning with Bantry and Des Lacs, ND, in 1943, moving to Minot in 1946 where Pastor Al was founding pastor of First Evangelical United Brethren Church. During this time the family grew, with the birth of a daughter in 1944 and twin sons in 1947. In 1949, they moved to Langdon, North Dakota, followed by a call to establish a new church in Williston, ND, in 1956. They continued their service to the church at Kindred, ND (1962-1969), First United Methodist Church in Bismarck (1969-1975), and the United Methodist parish on Enderlin/Sheldon, ND, from 1975 to formal retirement in 1983. Their "retired" life included another ten years of ministry with United Methodist churches of Wahpeton and Great Bend until fully retiring in 1993. A joy of Tessie's life during this time was a number of mission trips to the Red Bird Mission at Beverly, KY, plus overseas travels to Turkey, Germany, Switzerland, and Greece to visit Air Force family in those locations. In each community where they lived in North Dakota, Tessie often did substitute teaching as well as teaching basic piano to many students, while always involved in lay ministries of the church. Crafts and finding ways to serve others also became a focus of her time. Following the death of her husband, Rev. A. R. Aleson, in March of 1999, Tess Aleson moved back to Valley View Heights in Bismarck where she lived until her passing. Surviving family members include her daughter, Dianne Miller of Eagan, MN; lovingly adopted daughter, Gretta (Rev. Bruce) Buller of Rochester, MN; her son, AF Chaplain (ret) Dennis (Carol) Aleson of Colorado Springs, CO; and her son, Chaplain/Rev. Darrel (Debbie) Aleson of Bismarck, ND. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, Julie (Curt) Jusczak, Jill (Mike) Woerhle, Jason (Jennifer) Miller, Jennifer (Jason) Tuttle, and Jed Miller all of the Minneapolis area, Wendy Aleson of Las Vegas, NV, Josh Aleson of Bismarck, ND, Ryan (Emily) Aleson of Orlando, FL, and Heather (Dustin) Bingham of Colorado Springs, CO. Tess Aleson includes in her legacy 17 great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her husband of 56+ years, Rev. A. R. Aleson; her parents, John and Mary Buchele; three brothers, Alvin, Bert, and Harvey Buchele; and one sister, Cora Strutz.
Red ID: FND_I_61933 Image ID: 514142 Image Notes: FND001 03361

Collection: FND001 Digitized Images from Collection
Title: SHSND Foundation - North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program
Date: -

Summary: The North Dakota Heritage Family Memorial Program is sponsored by the North Dakota Funeral Directors Association. The life stories of deceased North Dakotans are featured in an archvied collection. Current partners in the project are Eastgate Funeral & Cremation Services, Bismarck Evans Funeral Homes, Carrington and New Rockford Everson-Coughlin Funeral Home, Williston Fulkerson Funeral Home, Tioga Fulkerson Funeral Home, Watford City Fulkerson Stevenson Funeral Home, Williston Nero Funeral Home, Bottineau Parkway Funeral Service, Bismarck Springan Stevenson Funeral Home, Stanley Stevenson Funeral Home, Dickinson These funeral homes provide recent obituaries to the Foundation, where staff and volunteers format, edit and archive each memorial. The memorials are posted, and copies are sent to the family for their input and approval. The listing currently features more than 13,000 memorials, and is constantly updated as new memorials and histories are received.

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