Alpha M. Braund, age 94, of Kiester, died Monday, July 5, 2004, at the Lake Mills Care Center in Lake Mills, Iowa.

Funeral services will be 11 a.m. Saturday, July 10, at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church in Kiester. The Rev. Dick Steffen will officiate. Visitation will be held at Bruss-Heitner Funeral Home in Wells from 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, and one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday. Interment will be in Our Savior’s Lutheran Cemetery in Kiester.

Alpha was born on Sept. 10, 1909, in Mount Valley Township, Winnebago County, Iowa, the daughter of Alf and Ingre Marie (Volstad) Thorson. She grew up in Mount Valley Township and attended school there and Lake Mills High School. She married Chester Braund on Jan. 30, 1927, at Winnebago Lutheran Church. She lived her entire life in the Lake Mills and Kiester areas.

She was the executive manager and charter member of Tupperware Home Parties. All of her grandchildren knew her as &uot;Tupperware Grandma&uot; and she has a great-grandchild working in the Tupperware Corporate Office.

She was a member of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, was president of the Martha Circle (now Sarah Circle) for 40 years, taught Sunday school for many years, and was secretary of the WELCA. Alpha was a 4-H leader and served as the historian of the Thorson/Brue family for 36 years, visiting her ancestors in Norway four times. She was a very active family oriented Christian lady who led a very exemplary life.

She is survived by five children: Vernon (wife Bonita) Braund of Walters, Marlys (husband Robert) Harig of Emmons, Jean (husband Wayne) Ellertson of Charles City, Iowa, Keith (wife Alice) Braund of Emmons, and Lynn (husband John) Wirkkala of Westminster, Colo.; son-in-law, Roger Oldfather of Kiester; 18 grandchildren; 44 great-grandchildren; eight great-great-grandchildren; and one brother, John Thorson of Albert Lea.

She was preceded in death by her parents; husband in 1966; one daughter, LaVonne; one sister, Mabel Theodora; five brothers: Herman, twins Marvin and Marvel, Harold Thorson, and a brother Herman in infancy; three grandchildren: Randy and Vern Braund, and Kristi Harig; and one great-granddaughter, Stacey Halvorsen.