Alma lived with her family on a farm near Potter, NE, and attended St. Paul’s Lutheran Grade School. She graduated from Sidney High School, where she roomed with other farm girls while attending classes. Her family moved to Seward, NE, where her parents were employed by Concordia Teachers College.
Seeking greater life experiences and employment opportunities, Alma moved with a girlfriend to Cheyenne,
Wyoming in 1942 where she was employed by various departments of the State of Wyoming as a secretary.
In 1947, she met Ernest Parsoneault, a switchman employed by the Union Pacific Railroad. They were married and had four children: Thomas J. Parsoneault (Ellen) of Richardson, TX, Donna L. Ellis (Robert) of Tucson, AZ, Judith L. Swanson (John) of Lee’s Summit, MO and Joline P. Morrison (Mike) of Durango, CO.
Ernest died when they were both 49 in 1970. Alma remarried six years later to Ora A. Freeman, a retired trainman, who died in 1981.
Alma retired in 1985 from the State of Wyoming where she ended 18 years of employment as the Administrative Assistant to the Director of the Childrens’ Health Department. One of her proudest achievements was teaching herself to use the only word processing computer in the Department. She was chosen by the Director over many others for her professionalism, integrity, work ethic and quick wit.
She moved to Tucson AZ in 1987, where she was an active member of Fountain of Life Lutheran Church and grandmother of nine grandchildren: Tana O’Leary and Lindsey Ellis (Donna and Robert), and Kyle and Lauren Morrison (Joline and Mike), Gina Farish and Courtney Eklund (Judy Swanson and Raymond Eklund) and Amy Hamm, Amber and Emily Parsoneault (Tom and Ellen). She also was a great grandmother of four.
Alma loved to travel in her retirement. She took five cruises and at 80 years of age a 2-week trip to Spain. She also used a personal computer until the age of 92, on which she prepared her income tax forms electronically.
In 2009, Alma moved from Arizona to John Knox Village in Lee’s Summit, MO, where she lived independently for two years. She spent the last six years of her life at Claridge Court in Prairie Village, KS.
Throughout her later years Alma remained happy, healthy and very appreciative of all of her caregivers, family and friends. Her faith remained strong and she was peaceful and very ready to leave her mortal life and move on to her spiritual one.
She is survived by her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, a sister, Lois Schuetz of Houston, TX and brother Albert Schlichting (Georgene) of Spring, TX.
She is predeceased by a brother, Gilbert Schlichting, a grandson, Kyle Morrison, as well as her parents, Albert and Sara Schlichting, and daughter-in-law Elaine Freeman.
A Memorial Service will be held on May 7 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit. The family will gather in Cheyenne, Wyoming this summer to bury her cremains next to her husband, Ernie, in the Beth El Cemetery.
For more information about Alma’s life and memorial services, please visit www.almaemma.com or email Judy Swanson at jswanson@connectkc.com.
