Alice Edna Catherine (Cooper) Colla, 96
Alice Edna Catherine (Cooper) Colla, the beloved mother of James and Richard Colla, 'joined her husband, Anthony, in heaven,' as she died quietly after breakfast Sept. 12, 2007, at the age of 96.
She was born on Aug. 30, 1911, in Milwaukee, Wis., the daughter of John and Mary Cooper of 774 Racine Street. While attending Lincoln High School in Milwaukee, she met her future husband, Anthony Bernard Colla, whose sister, Catherine, attended the same school and shared a school locker next to Alice, and the two became close friends.
After high school, Alice began a career at Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., where her fiance, Anthony, began his career in insurance. He later studied to become one of the first Certified Life Underwriters, CLU, in the country. He was a life member of the Million Dollar Roundtable and a New England Life Hall of Fame life member, along with other designations.
The couple was married Sept. 8, 1934, at Saint John's Cathedral in Milwaukee, and Alice gave birth to their first son, Richard, on April 18, 1936.
The family soon moved to Lakewood, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, where Anthony had been offered a position with National Life of Vermont. The couple returned to Milwaukee five years later, where their son, James, was born July 14, 1943. They lived first on Oakland Avenue, and then on Morris Boulevard in Shorewood, Wis., where Alice filled her life being the mother to her two growing sons, and wife to her husband. In 1961, Anthony agreed to accept a position of co-general agent for New England Mutual Life Insurance in Great Falls, where Alice moved with her husband and son James.
There she created a new home for her family at 1830 Beech Drive, across from Meadowlark Country Club, where she and her husband were members for more than 20 years. They perfected their games of golf and became involved in the social life of their community.
Alice and her family attended Saint Joseph Catholic Church, where she was a member of the altar society. She grew proficient in the arts of needlepoint, knitting, crochet, and various crafts such as collage and stained glass, creating beautiful and enduring pieces, and became known locally as a great cook.
Alice's husband passed away suddenly on Feb. 11, 1982, and for many years after, Alice committed herself to service at Saint Joseph Church and became a Pink Lady at Columbus Hospital, where she spent hundreds of long hours in that volunteer program. She adored playing bridge and visiting with friends.
In her later years, when she found herself incapable of living without assistance, Alice moved Cambridge Place in Great Falls, where she continued a productive life.
Alice moved to Whitefish after her son James had moved to his new home on Whitefish Lake and brought Alice to live closer to him. She moved to Riverside Senior Living in Whitefish, and then to Heritage Place in Kalispell, where she lived until her gentle death.
She is survived by her sons, Richard and Denise Colla of Malibu, Calif., and James Colla of Whitefish; and a daughter-in-law, Sidney Stapp Colla, of Great Falls. Alice has five grandchildren, Elizabeth Colla, Anthony James Colla, Constance Marie Colla-Bentley, Candra Niswanger and Bromley Ann Rittel, 12 great-grandchildren, who came together with her sister-in-law, Catherine Alioto; and numerous grandnephews and grandnieces to celebrate her birthdays and family reunions in Whitefish.
Visitation will be from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 16, at Schnider Funeral Home in Great Falls. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 17, at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Great Falls. Interment will be afterward in Mount Olivet Cemetery, also in Great Falls.
Memorials are suggested to Alzheimer's Fellowship of the Northern Rockies, 2621 15th Ave. S., Great Falls, MT 59405.
Schnider Funeral Home is handling arrangements. Condolences for the family may be left at www.schniderfuneralhome.com.