Alice A. Epperson, 97, of Rock Island, passed away Friday, January 17, 2025, at Friendship Manor Silver Cross.

A funeral service will be held at 12:00 pm on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at Wheelan-Pressly Funeral Home and Crematory, Rock Island. Visitation will be held from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm on Thursday, January 23, 2025, at the funeral home. A private family burial will be at Greenview Memorial Gardens, East Moline. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Friendship Manor or a charity of your choice.

Alice was born on November 16, 1927, in Minneota, Minnesota, the daughter of Marcel and Paula (VanLandegem) DeMartelaere. She married Hugh G. Epperson Jr. on July 27, 1947, in Rock Island. He preceded her in death on October 31, 2021. Alice worked for the Rock Island Arsenal while in high school during WW II, raised her children, and retired in 1998 from the US Army Weapons Command after a total of 28 years. After retirement, Alice and her husband Hugh enjoyed traveling and spending winters in Hawaii. She enjoyed playing cards and going to the cassino. Most importantly, Alice loved her family. She looked forward to watching her grandsons and great grandsons play sports and cheering them on.

Alice's family would like to give a special thank you to the staff at Silver Cross and Heartland Hospice for their great care and compassion they gave to Alice and her family.

Those left to cherish her memory are her children, Sandra Black, Nancy (Kent) Thomas, and Edward (Tammy) Epperson; 8 grandsons, Andrew, Jeffery, and Eric Black, Justin Forsyth, Trent and Troy Thomas, Jordan and Jason Epperson; 8 great grandsons; 4 great granddaughters; and sister, Georgene Sivertsen. She was preceded in death by her husband of 72 years of marriage, son-in-law, Paul Black, parents and a brother, David DeMartelaere.