Alyce Sprenger

Alyce R. Sprenger, age 84 of Sauk Centre, formerly of Grey Eagle, died Monday, December 7, 2009 at Fairway Pines Assisted Living in Sauk Centre, Minnesota.

Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, December 12 at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grey Eagle with Rev. Mark Willenbring officiating. Interment will be in St. Bernard's Cemetery in Ward Springs.

Friends may call from 4 to 9 p.m. Friday at the Patton-Schad Funeral Home in Sauk Centre and from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday at the church in Grey Eagle. St. Joseph's Catholic Aid and Christian Mothers will pray at 5 p.m. followed by parish prayers at 7 p.m. Friday evening at the funeral home.

Alyce Rose Riederer was born January 8, 1925 in Mulligan Township, Brown County, Minnesota to Leo and Mathilda (Platz) Riederer. She was united in marriage to Florian Sprenger on April 28, 1943 at the Japanese Martyrs Church in Leavenworth, Minnesota. The couple farmed at Garvin and Leavenworth. They then farmed northwest of Grey Eagle for 40 years. They retired and moved to Little Birch Lake near Ward Springs until moving to Sauk Centre in June of 1996. Alyce was very proud of her large family. She would talk for hours about them and loved hearing and talking about her 33 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren.

She was a member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Grey Eagle, St. Joseph's CatholicAid Association, and the Christian Mothers. Alyce loved to garden, to can fruits and vegetables, and spent many hours embroidering pillow cases and dish towels as gifts for family, friends, and many grandchildren's weddings. The Lord granted Alyce's last wish to be with her husband as she died in her sleep.

She is survived by her fourteen children, Pat (Dee) Sprenger of Brainerd, Ron (Eileen) Sprenger of Arvada, Colorado, Dennis (Lavonne) Sprenger of Alexandria, Florian (Connie) Sprenger, Jr. of St. Rosa, Lavern (Danni) Sprenger of Arvada, Colorado, Bernard (Rosie) Sprenger of Sleepy Eye, Dorthy (Marvin) Boeckermann of Roseville, Judy (Marty) Meyer of St. Joseph, Leon "Butch" (Liz) Sprenger of Chanhassen, Jeanie (Mike) Austreng of Cold Spring, Mary (Brett) Webb of Anchorage, Alaska, Chuck (Brenda) Sprenger of Grey Eagle, Mike Sprenger of Windsor, Colorado, and Tim (Lori) Sprenger of Melrose; 33 grandchildren and 28 great-grandchildren; brothers, Wilbert (Agnes) Riederer of Bird Island and Cletus Riederer, OFM of Shreveport, Louisiana; sisters, Marie (Arnold) Hillesheim of Springfield and Marlene (Thomas) Johnson of New Ulm; and sisters-in-law, Lorell Riederer of Comfrey and Mary Ann Riederer of Springfield.

Alyce was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Florian Sprenger on April 10, 2000; brothers, Leonard, Eugene, James, and Gerald Riederer.

Serving as casket bearers will be her ten sons, Pat Sprenger, Ron Sprenger, Dennis Sprenger, Florian Sprenger, Jr., Lavern Sprenger, Bernard Sprenger, Leon "Butch" Sprenger, Chuck Sprenger, Mike Sprenger, and Tim Sprenger. Cross bearer will be Haley Sprenger and scripture bearer will be Alyce Sprenger.