3
trees
planted in memory of Arlice R. Gallagher
Obituary for Arlice R. Gallagher
On Sunday, April 16, 2023, Arlice Romane Hedge Gallagher went to be with her Savior at the age of 84. Arlice was born on February 22, 1939 in Hoxie, Kansas to Elmer and Eva Hedge. She was the oldest of six children. Her father Elmer flew spray planes in western Kansas, and she always told us she learned to fly a plane before she learned to drive.
She accepted Christ as her Savior on February 15, 1954 through the influence of a beloved teacher, and this was the most important decision of her life. She attended school in Hoxie and graduated in 1957 as valedictorian of her class and won numerous awards. She was always interested in science and attended the University of Kansas on scholarship to obtain a Bachelor of Science in microbiology. She was on a pre-med track and was accepted to KU’s medical school and completed one year of study. While at KU, Arlice met Robert Gallagher through InterVarsity Fellowship, and on a sunny day, trying to come up with an excuse to spend time with her, he offered her and her friends a ride to Bible study because “It looks like it might rain.” They got married on September 15, 1962 and had four children.
Arlice had many passions and interests, including baking and cooking, sewing and knitting, woodworking, spinning yarn, gardening, reading, and traveling. She was crunchy before crunchy was a thing. In spite of never finishing medical school, she used her medical knowledge to save the lives of her chicken flock on several occasions when she had to stitch up wounds from their dogs. She was renowned for her many dessert specialties, especially ice cream. When polling the grandchildren about her cooking feats, they mentioned the homemade snack cakes, and her chocolate ganache and caramel sauces. She offered generous hospitality to all throughout the years, and many have passed through her kitchen and dining room. Cooking for groups was her way of expressing love and care for others and spent many summers cooking for Kansas Bible Camp. She often wished that she had a bigger kitchen and fancier house, but also realized that hospitality wasn’t about being fancy. She never worried about running out of food, because “It’s not their last meal!” Many laughs were shared around her dining room table, and she was also famous for saying (about her boys) “Don’t laugh, it will only make them worse!”
After her children were grown and married, she entered the role of doting grandmother with ease and joy. “Happy Acres Farm” provided the perfect setting for the growing tribe of grandchildren to spend time with her and Bob where they learned to garden, mow, build ‘forts’, cook, sew, and many other skills. The most important time spent with her grandchildren was teaching them about the Lord and having Bible readings with them. In the last week of her life, she spent time with her daughter and granddaughter reading the Easter week Scripture readings out loud together.
Arlice was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Janet Swift and brother Larry Hedge, her husband Robert, her son James, and grandson Noah. She is survived by her sisters Mary Lou (Howard) Heskett, Jody (Reid) Rogers and her brother Dan (Alberta) Hedge, her daughter Susan (Marty) Oehmler, daughter Rebecca Gallagher, daughter-in-law Nicole Gallagher, widow of Jim, son Timothy (Lydia) Gallagher, nineteen grandchildren, and seventeen great-grandchildren with one on the way
Visitation will be held on Wednesday, April 19, 2023 at Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel in De Soto, Kansas from 10am to noon. Burial will be held after the visitation at the De Soto Cemetery at 12:30 pm. A memorial service will be held at the Lawrence Bible Chapel, 505 Monterey Way, Lawrence, Kansas on Sunday, April 23, 2023 at 3 pm. All are welcome to attend.
In lieu of flowers, donations in Arlice’s memory can be sent to Walnut Grove Bible Church in Bonner Springs, Kansas, or Kansas Bible Camp in Hutchinson, Kansas.
To plant a tree in memory of Arlice R. Gallagher, visit the Tribute Store.
Previous Events
Visitation
Wednesday
19
Apr
10:00 AM
- 12:00 PM
Cedar Crest Memorial Chapel
32665 Lexington Avenue
De Soto, KS 66018
Graveside
Wednesday
19
Apr
12:30 PM
De Soto Cemetery
34500 W 87th Street
De Soto, KS 66018
Memorial Service
Sunday
23
Apr
3:00 PM
Lawrence Bible Chapel
505 Monterey Way
Lawrence, KS 66049
Cemetery Details
Location
De Soto Cemetery
34500 W 87th Street
De Soto, KS 66018
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