Alice Cecilia Ames, age 103, of Christmas, died Sunday, April 11, 2010 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising.

She was born on August 5, 1906 to the late Hermados Chartier and Eva A. (Paquette) Chartier.

Alice attended a one room school at Forest Lake. She moved to Ridge Road with her family when she was about nine years of age.

Alice married Henry H. Ames in 1924 and together they raised their three sons Harold, Cecil, and Douglas.

Alice and Henry built and operated the Island View Cabins, Santa’s Motel, and Standard gas station in Christmas, where their son Doug and a number of grandchildren have fond memories of working.

Alice was a determined, hard working woman, who spent all but about a year and a half of her life in Alger County. In addition to the motel business she always planted a garden, made maple syrup in the spring for many years, and in her earlier years raised fryer chickens and sold eggs. Alice’s hobbies included knitting, crocheting, baking, and she had a lifelong passion for gardening which she continued to enjoy until her passing. She had to have her hands in the dirt, and was a green thumb in every sense of the term.

Her formal education ended at about eighth grade, but one of her proudest accomplishments, was attaining a Master Gardener Certificate at the age of 87, with the help of her very dear friend Lore Vogelbacher. Plant starts and cuttings from her garden still grow in a number of locations from coast to coast. The new community green house known as the Hoop House in Munising fascinated Alice. The idea of “no heat” winter growing was impossible thinking to her. Alice kept an eye on how things were going. Her final outing the Wednesday before she died was a walk with her grandchildren to check the spring growth at the Hoop House.

Alice is survived by her son – Douglas (Julie) Ames of Renton, WA; grandchildren – Carol (Noshir) Havewala of Corning, NY, Don (Reba) Ames of Traverse City, Patricia (Colin) Haynes of Cornell, MI, Sherry (Jeff)Gravedoni of Appleton, WI, Larry (Louise) Ames of Munising, Rosemary Ames of Ortonville, MI, Kim (Bruce) Bailey of Charlotte, MI, have a son who loves computers; Denise Ames of Edmonds, WA, Sandra (Greg) Fritzler of Brier, WA, and Toni Ames of Seattle, WA; thirteen great-grandchildren; twelve great-great-grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews throughout the United States.

She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, sons Harold and Cecil Ames; an infant son and an infant daughter; sisters - Margaret Cramer, Catherine Haynes, Eldora Parvi, and Una “Dolly” St. Martin.

Alice’s committal services were held at Maple Grove Cemetery on Monday, April 12, 2010 at 11:00 a.m. Memorials may be made in Alice’s name to the Yard and Garden Club of Alger County.

Alice sat at table right next to Bob Nebel's at Tender Care except for the last five days before she died.

Douglas Ames (Cecil's brother from Renton, WA) introduced himself at Falling Rock Cafe on Tuesday, April 13th, thinking we had some connection to Peterson's Cabins. Doug & his whole family had been in Munising the week before Alice died.