RON MALY HAS BEEN WATCHING THE PARADE GO BY FOR A LONG TIME. THIS IS ONE OF HIS WEBSITES.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

The Apple Lady


I was sorry to learn of the death of 75-year-old Nadine Albrecht of Cedar Rapids. 

Nadine and her late husband, Chuck, were longtime friends of ours who owned and managed a huge apple orchard on Ashworth Road in West Des Moines for many years. 

There were also a couple of cherry trees at the place, and I can recall picking apples and cherries a time or two.

As far as I know, I haven't picked apples or cherries since.
  
Nadine and Chuck lived on the property,  and it was the site of many Fourth of July picnics, wild-game dinners, Sunday afternoons when Chuck spent a half-hour chasing a greased hog, and who-knows-what-else.

Chuck raised honeybees, had a couple of antique sports cars he said he planned to restore, had some old gas pumps he said he planned to do something with, and both he and Nadine always had a smile and a hug whenever someone stopped by.

Fun-loving folks, that's what Chuck and Nadine Albrecht were. 
Nadine Albrecht


Here's a copy of what I wrote on the cremation.com website where Nadine's obituary appears:

 Ron and Maxine Maly were very saddened when they learned of Nadine's death. We were longtime friends of Nadine and Chuck in their "Apple Orchard" days in West Des Moines. We picked plenty of apples and cherries at that wonderful place on Ashworth Road, and we enjoyed the company of Nadine and Chuck at July 4 celebrations, fall picnics, spring picnics, summer picnics and even winter picnics. Heck, every day was a picnic with Nadine and Chuck. Our best to Scott, Todd, Troy and their families. We share in your sorrow.

Scott, Todd and Troy are the Albrechts' sons. Nadine spent her final years in Cedar Rapids, probably because Troy is in business in nearby Marion.

It was a shock to me, and presumably to many others who knew Nadine and Chuck when they divorced several years ago.  

Chuck moved to Omaha, then back to West Des Moines, where he died a couple of years ago.

We last time we saw Nadine was in Cedar Rapids. We were there to visit my sister-in-law, and I picked up Nadine at her apartment on the southeast side for a lunch the women had planned.

The best part of that day, as well as the days that followed, was that Miquie, my sister-in-law, talked Nadine into going to church a couple of times in Cedar Rapids. 

Nadine had no car, so Miquie picked her up and drove her to church and drove her back home.

It was Miquie who called last night to say she saw Nadine's obituary in the Gazette.

The last time we saw Chuck was when he stopped by our home  to have me sign a copy of my second [of three]  Tales from the Iowa Sidelines books that he had purchased. 

We drank a lot of coffee that night, re-living the old days.

We miss Nadine and Chuck, and we're going to make every effort to get to Nadine's celebration of life Saturday at The Tavern II in West Des Moines.

That's the kind of place Nadine and Chuck liked.

Following is a copy of the obituary that appeared at iowacremation.com and in the Cedar Rapids Gazette

As far as I know, the obituary hasn't appeared in the paper here yet, hopefully  not just because of the shockingly-high prices the paper charges families for obits these days. 

I guess the paper's management figures the product is so lousy now that it can't make any money from subscriptions, so it makes subscribers [and non-subscribers] pay an arm and a leg to print an obit.


NADINE ALBRECHT

Cedar Rapids


Nadine Erliss Rauhauser Albrecht, 75, passed away suddenly in Cedar Rapids on Feb. 19, 2014. A Celebration of Life will be Saturday, March 1, from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Tavern II Pizza and Pasta Grill, 1755 50th St., West Des Moines.

Nadine was born June 19, 1938, in Faribault, Minn. She worked at Iowa Realty in Panora, Iowa. Friends may remember Nadine as "The Apple Lady" of Valley Orchard on Ashworth Road in West Des Moines.


Nadine was preceded in death by Charles Albrecht.


She is survived by three children, Scott (Wendy), Todd (Lori) and Troy (Geri) Albrecht; grandchildren, Dylan, Keanan, Braeden, Delaney, Jonah and Hollis; and siblings, Naomi John- son and William Rauhauser. 


A lifelong Democrat, Nadine enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren, painting, and was often seen with a glass of wine, enjoying social gatherings.


Memorial contributions may be made to the American Diabetes Association (diabetes.org/donate). 


Please leave a message or tribute to Nadine's family on the web page, www. iowacremation.com under Obituaries.