Alice Bieren

Alice Bieren joined her husband Bob in heaven June 5, 2020. Alice Louise Greiff was born November 11, 1927 in Saint Helens, Oregon to Hans and Helen (Dawson) Greiff. She was the oldest of four children; her family included brothers Carl and John and sister Sylvia. Every year the Armistice Day parade was held on her birthday and she convinced her younger siblings (and eventually her children & grandchildren) that the parades were held in her honor. Alice graduated from Yakima High School in 1945. She met Bob Bieren while in high school. According to Bob, “At first she thought I was a jerk. But after she went out with me, she fell for me like a ton of bricks.” Alice would neither confirm nor deny this assertation, just laughed every time he said it. They married October 29, 1949, in Spanaway, Washington. They celebrated their 70th anniversary last year the day before Bob passed away. Alice worked for the telephone company when she and Bob got married. A year after their marriage, their daughter Linda was born and two years after that, their daughter Kathy was born. Our favorite memories as a family are of camping trips, waterskiing on countless weekends, trips to national parks and Disneyland, and school clothes shopping in Portland every summer. Alice had many titles in her life – daughter, sister, wife, mother, “Darling Aunt Alice.” But the role she most cherished was being “Grandma Alice” to her four grandchildren: Pete, Julia, Jeff, and Chris. She said on more than one occasion that in her next life, she was going straight to grandchildren!! Alice was an amazing cook. She loved making her special bran muffins, apple pies, peach cobbler, potato salad, hot slaw, wacky cakes, and chicken divan. She and Grandpa Bob were at all their grandchildren’s birthday parties even though they lived 200 miles away. Grandma Alice made birthday cakes for all their birthdays and cupcakes for their school parties. During Kathy’s time in the service, especially in Southeast Asia, Alice wrote faithfully every week. Her letters were passed from person to person. She sent the only Christmas tree anyone on post had and it was enjoyed by everyone. She enjoyed seeing Sheeba on their visits from Texas. She especially liked it when someone asked her what kind of dog Sheeba was and she could say “white dog.” Alice loved drinking coffee, having her hair done, always having her face on, having long beautifully polished nails, going to Hawaii with Bob and her siblings, and playing (and usually winning!) Mexican train with her children and grandchildren. She also loved her Mariners and no one was allowed to talk while she watched their games on TV. She celebrated her 90th birthday at a Mariners game – and they beat the Cleveland Indians with a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 9th!! She survived childhood polio, ovarian cancer, and two broken hips. But she never lost her fighting spirit. If you asked her how she was, she always said “hanging in there!” with a smile. Alice’s parents preceded her in death, as well as her beloved husband Bob and her brother Carl. Also her father- and mother-in-law, PJ and Anna Bieren and her sisters-in-law Shirlee Greiff, Margaret Berriman, Johanna Benko, and Florence Jensen. Alice is survived by her daughter Linda and husband Varnel Williams of Moscow, ID, and her daughter Kathy Johnson, her puppy Sheeba and all her kitties, of LaVernia, TX. She is also survived by her grandkids: Pete and Stephanie Williams of San Diego, CA; Julia and Izak van Rensburg, of Kenmore, WA; Jeff Williams and his fiancée Katie Linnemeyer, of Coeur d’Alene, ID; and Chris Williams of Milwaukee, WI and his fiancée Elizabeth Tuesley of Bellevue, WA. She has eight great grandkids: Lana, Zola, Archer, Lynlee, Addy, Aliana, Sadie, and Kyah. She is also survived by her brother John, sister Sylvia and Don Wilson, and sister-in-law Delsa Greiff, as well as many nieces and nephews. A Celebration of Alice’s life will be held June 20 at 10:30am at Valley Hills Funeral Home in Terrace Heights. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to Children’s Wishes & Dreams c/o Valley Hills Funeral Home 2600 Business Ln Yakima WA., 98901. Please visit www.ValleyHillsfh.com to share a memory or condolence with the family. To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Alice Bieren, please visit our flower store.