Alice Marlene George Rankin

Alice Marlene George Rankin, 92

Alice Rankin, daughter of God, was called home to heaven on November 9, 2023. Alice was born April 20, 1931 in Maywood, Los Angeles County,California. She was the third of four children born to Charles Frederick George and Alice Blanche (Corder) George. Her older sister and brother pre-deceased her: Mildred LaRuth (John) Smith, born in 1927, and her brother Charles LeRoy George (Margie) born in 1929. Her “baby” sister, Patricia Anne (Ira) McDow was born in 1942.

As a toddler, Patty couldn’t say Marlene (which is what Alice was called as a child) and said what sounded like Mimi. Marlene’s girlfriends picked it up and started calling her that as well as her entire family. So, Alice was called Marlene at elementary school age, and Mimi starting at junior high school level (except by her teachers, she was still Marlene.) To all her friends and family, she was now Mimi. She met her husband with that name and that is what he called her for their entire 55 years of marriage.

Ronald D. Rankin was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, having served in the Philippines when she met him. He had just returned home and was the best friend of Mimi’s boyfriend (at that time). They double dated with Ron and a girlfriend a few times, so when Mimi broke up with her boyfriend, Ron asked her out on a date. He was two years older than her and started getting serious, but Mimi was still in high school and wasn’t ready for that, so she broke off the relationship. Ron left Southern California to live in San Francisco near his mother. He returned when Mimi had graduated, after having been voted “The Prettiest Girl in the Senior Class” and was working for Swift and Company in the refinery Department as a private secretary to the vice president of the margarine department. Ron phoned and asked her out for a date, to go to a movie. Mimi was between boyfriends, so she said yes. That was “it”, and they clicked this time and started going steady – shortly later becoming engaged, and then married in a church ceremony on June 4, 1949. They were happily married for 55 years before Ron passed away on October 12, 2004.

Ron and Alice were blessed with five children, four girls and a boy. She lost her son on January 19, 2023, one week before his 65th birthday. Ralph Reeder Rankin II, named for his paternal grandfather.

After being married for sixteen years, and having five children, Ron and Alice wanted a slower pace of life – researched it out and left the hassle of Southern California for Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. In 1965 there wasn’t even a freeway yet. They moved their five kids and two dogs to the old three-story John T. Wood home at 817 Sherman Avenue. It was a six-bedroom home on half a city block – only two houses on the entire block from 8th to 9^th Streets, with Lakeside behind. The children were so happy to each have their own bedrooms, and Ron and Alice had half of the second floor for their suite. It had been the former home of the Mayor, and later Congressman John T. Wood.

Ron was elected a Kootenai County Commissioner and served for several years. While in office he raised private funds to build a Veterans Memorial Plaza at the rear of the courthouse. Following his death, the commissioners held a public ceremony to name the plaza the “Ronald D. Rankin Veteran’s Memorial Plaza.” Ron had served in combat with the U.S. Marine Corps to drive North Korea out after they had taken over South Korea, fighting his way south from the Chosin Reservoir, a member of the Chosin Few.

Alice and family found a home at Kidd Island Bay, in the woods. She developed an award -winning organic vegetable garden. She loved teaching others to grow their own produce, often holding classes through the county extension office. Many times, her fruits and vegetables won “Best of Show” at the Kootenai County fair. She lived at Kidd Island Bay after Ron died, all the children having moved on to marriage or college. When her health began to fail, Alice moved into The Lodge at Bristol Heights Assisted Living in Hayden in 2019 at the age of 88.

Alice was a proud member of the Daughters of the American Revolution for many years. She was also a member of the very first Kootenai Memorial Hospital Auxiliary in the 1960’s and 1970’s. She wore her coral jumper and white blouse as she worked in Hospitality. Alice was a voracious reader of all types of books, magazines, and newspapers.

She became Alice, her third name after Marlene and Mimi, when she and her family joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on New Year’s Eve, 1960. When they were confirmed members the next day at church, her records were read in as Alice Marlene Rankin before the congregation. Afterwards, everyone said “Welcome, Alice.” She didn’t correct them because Mimi didn’t seem like a church name. There is probably no one still alive who called her Marlene or Mimi except for her sister and brother-in-law. She was now Alice for her church family and everyone else.

Alice is survived by her daughters and sons-in-law, Lynne Marlene and Kelly Robbins (Roy, Utah); Kerri Suzanne and Robert Thoreson (Post Falls); Janna Robin and Richard Scharf (Post Falls); and Ronna Maureen and Kerry Park (Blackfoot); and her sister and brother-n-law Patricia and Ira McDow (Foothill Ranch, CA). She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren. Her husband, children and grandchildren were what she cherished most in life –they were everything to her.

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Funeral services will be held at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Stake Center on 4th Street at 11 am on December 2, 2023. There will be a viewing in the Relief Society Room prior to the service.