Honoring Tradition.
Celebrating Life.
//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-life-panel.jpg

Alice Marie Borchert

May 16, 1927 - May 8, 2020
Grand Rapids, Freeport & Chicago IL, MI

//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-01.jpg



Visitation

Sunday, May 10, 2020
1:00 PM to 2:30 PM EDT
Heritage Life Story Funeral Homes
Alt & Shawmut Hills Chapel
2120 Lake Michigan Dr., N.W.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 453-8263
Driving Directions

Service

Tuesday, May 12, 2020
11:00 AM CDT
Chapel Hill Gardens South Cemetery
11333 S. Central St.
Worth, IL 60482
(708) 636-1200
Map

Contributions


At the family's request memorial contributions are to be made to those listed below. Please forward payment directly to the memorial of your choice.

Immanuel Lutheran Church
1993 Church St.
Freeport, IL 61032
Web Site

Bethesda Lutheran Home/Lutheran Social Services
15487 State Highway 86
Meadville, PA 16335
Web Site

Flowers


Below is the contact information for a florist recommended by the funeral home.

Ball Park Floral
8 Valley Ave.
Grand Rapids, MI 49504
(616) 459-3409
Driving Directions
Web Site

Life Story / Obituary


//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-02.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-03.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-04.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-05.jpg
Print

Alice Borchert was a beautiful person to know and to love. An exceptional wife, mother, and grandmother, she relished in bringing joy to the hearts of the ones she loved. A lover of all people, she treated each and every person she met with kindness. Deeply missed, she will forever be known for her optimistic outlook on life and her compassion for all people.

Reflecting on the 1920s, it was a period of sustained economic prosperity with a growing abundance of culture. In the same year that Charles Lindbergh completed the first solo flight across the Atlantic, Paul and Dorothy (Wettsetadt) Gosswein welcomed their newborn daughter, Alice Marie, into their hearts on May 16, 1927, in Chicago, Illinois. Born the oldest of four daughters, her birth brought great joy into the family home.

Alice grew up in the southside of Chicago. She showed responsibility from a young age supporting her mother in caring for her younger siblings, Ruth, Paula, and Judy. In addition to shoveling snow, cutting the grass, doing laundry, and cooking her mother would often tell her to, “hold the baby or stir the gravy!” Alice attended Zion Lutheran Elementary and later graduated with the Class of 1945 from Morgan Park High School. Ambitious and outgoing she landed her first job after high school as a dental assistant.

She met her sweetheart, Richard Borchert, through his sister who introduced the two of them. He was a strikingly handsome United States Navy Veteran, and she couldn’t resist his charming demeanor. They two dated for a short time and joined in marriage on April 24,1948, at St. John Divine Lutheran Church. Together they settled in the Beverly Morgan Park neighborhood where they raised their two sons, Thomas and William on Richard’s income as a local brick mason.

In the 1960s, Richard bought a 380-acre dairy farm. They have many special memories here as well as their vacations to Namakan Lake at the Hoist Bay Resort where they would fish, boat, and swim! When the children were grown, they relocated to Freeport, Illinois where Alice enjoyed volunteering as a greeter and gift shop associate at the Freeport Hospital. She also enjoyed sewing, knitting, and crocheting. She and Richard loved to entertain and every five years they hosted a large a pig roast, complete with hayrides through the woods pulled by Clydesdales! Social by nature, they also enjoyed many years of attending their supper club with wonderful friends playing Pinochle as well as dancing to Polka or waltz music! There was never a dull moment with the two of them around.

Alice also cherished many special pastimes. She was a wonderful baker and the family savored her delicious homemade treats of baked apple slices, cherry pie, cinnamon rolls and bacon rolls. She also loved animals and birds of all kinds. A talented gardener, she loved to freeze and can goods to enjoy year-round and enjoyed taking strolls in the woods. Retirement afforded her and Richard the opportunity to travel throughout the United States as well as Europe. Alice especially looked forward to their mystery bus trips over the years.

Sadly, Richard’s health declined and he passed away at age ninety in 2013. Alice continued on for many years with support from her family and friends. In the last seven years, she began suffering from the effects of dementia. Closer to her family, Covenant Living of the Great Lakes in Grand Rapids became a loving home to support her as her needs increased. Alice wanted nothing more than to share in the many successes of her growing family. Any amount of time she was with them her heart was content. A faithful friend and fun-loving person, may her loved ones never doubt the immense love she had for each of them and may her memories be eternal.

Alice Marie (Gosswein) Borchert, aged 92, of Grand Rapids formerly of Freeport and Chicago, Illinois, went to be with her Lord and Savior, on Friday, May 8, 2020, at Covenant Living of the Great Lakes, in Grand Rapids, MI. She was preceded in death by her infant daughter, Barbara, and her husband of 65 years, Richard G. Borchert. She is survived by her children, Thomas (Joan) Borchert and William (Karen) Borchert; grandchildren, Katherine (Justin) TeBrake (their children, Addilyn, Colin, Caleb and Greta), Christopher (April) Borchert (their children, Lane, Carson, and Ellison), Maribeth (Joel) Kamstra (their children, Judah and Clara), and Ryan Borchert; her sisters, Ruth (James) Reid, Paula Risetter, Judy (Robert) Wardo; many nieces, nephews, and special friends. Alice was a very loving wife, mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, and friend to all who knew her. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered. Alice was an active member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Freeport, IL. The family would like to thank the staff of Covenant Living and Hospice of Michigan for the love and care shown to Alice and her family. A time to celebrate Alice’s life will be held on Sunday, May 10, from 1:00 - 2:30 pm, at Heritage Life Story Funeral Home, 2120 Lake Michigan Dr. NW in Grand Rapids MI. Burial on Tuesday, May 12 at 11:00 am (central time) in Chapel Hill Gardens South Cemetery, 1133 S. Central St., Worth, IL. Contributions in her memory may be made to Immanuel Lutheran Church 1993 Church Street Freeport, IL 61032 or Bethesda Lutheran Children's Home/Lutheran Social Services 15487 State Highway 86 Meadville, PA 16335. To sign her guest book and to leave your own memory of her, visit her web page at www.heritagelifestory.com

//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-02.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-03.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-04.jpg//cdn.lifestorynet.com/obituaries/01b/131524/131524-05.jpg