Ardice Mae Owenson LaGrange Kolb, 92, of 195 Pine Summit Road, Williamsport, died Saturday, Aug. 28, 2010, at the Williamsport Home after a short stay there, being surrounded by family and friends, having touched countless others with her special giving and loving nature.
Born in Grace City, ND, on Nov. 5, 1917, she was the daughter of Dr. Henry Adolph Owenson, a traveling doctor on a Native American Indian Reservations at the time, and Alma Augusta Neitzel Owenson, who died when Ardice was only months old.
She was the wife of Dr. Charles E. Kolb MD, who died Sept. 21, 1992, having observed their 52nd wedding anniversary on Nov. 5, 1991, before they parted until now. They were married on Ardice's 23rd birthday at the LaGrange Presbyterian Church, LaGrange, IL, just outside Chicago, while Dr. Kolb was interning at the Chicago Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital while Ardice LaGrange (Kolb) studied pre-mature baby care and worked as an RN at nearby Michael Reed Hospital for six months in the latter part of 1940.
"Ardie Mae" LaGrange began her storied love affair and courtship with her true love, the dashing and handsome intern Charles "Curly" Kolb, of Williamsport, at Hamot Hospital in Erie just before she graduated on Sept. 29, 1939, from the Hamot Hospital School for Nurses. She was the oldest surviving Hamot nursing graduate, reciting and requesting her nursing training education practices right up until her final day.
One of 10 Erie locals out of 18 nurses in training, Ardice walked to Hamot Hospital from her teenage childhood 10th Street home, living there still with her adopted parents, Orion DeMond LaGrange and Ella Flora Neitzel LaGrange, being her maternal aunt. She graduated from nearby Strong Vincent High School in June of 1935 where Ardice was voted the Most Popular Girl. Her first year there in the 9th grade remained Ardice's favorite year in school ever.
After leaving Chicago in December 1940, the newlyweds went on to intern and work respectively for six months together as a Doctor and an RN at the Gill Memorial Hospital, Roanoke, VA. Next, Ardice Kolb moved to Uniontown, PA, just outside Pittsburgh, with her husband to operate another eye doctor's practice for about one year while that doctor was away during WWII in the service.
In July 1942, the Kolbs moved to Williamsport where Ardice helped her husband "hang his first shingle" after taking over the practice of Dr. Paul Decker, while starting "housekeeping" at the Kolb family-built homestead, 68 Brandon Place, where Dr. Kolb was born and they began raising their children. In and outside the office, Ardice helped her husband operate his practice of 40 years until retirement in 1982.
The Kolbs enjoyed traveling around the world throughout their marriage, having once spent part of their Jamaican vacation with Clark Gable and his wife Kaye, who was a family friend from Erie.
The Kolbs spent many winters in Florida together where Ardice spent a number of years of her childhood, living in Eustis, FL. It was here where in her father LaGrange's nine-city block "Lynnhurst" housing development the first street was named after her, Ardice Avenue, which today is a U.S. Florida Highway.
As a widow, Mrs. Kolb enjoyed a number of happy years at her Citrus Park Lilac Court winter home in Bonita Springs, FL, driving there to and from by herself until her mid-80s. Her factory-ordered V-8 white Ford convertible with red leather interior for her 70th birthday was the last of her long line of unique Kolb family vehicles.
Like in multiple Williamsport card playing circles over the decades, Mrs. Kolb was known in Bonita Springs as an avid card player, being a skilled Pinochle, Set Back and Bridge player, taking up new card games whenever she could including 99 and Golf, winning many a game until the late evening hours right up until her passing.
Ardice and Charles Kolb were blessed with the births of five children: Karen Yvonne Kolb, Denver, CO; Karl Wayne Kolb, who died March 27, 1943; Charles Emanuel (Mari) Kolb Jr., Danville, CA; Judith Anne Kolb (Meckley), Williamsport, and Daniel Orion (Angie) Kolb, Mill Creek, WA and Westcliff, CO. Besides her oldest son and husband, Mrs. Kolb was preceded in death by her brother Gordon Owenson.
Surviving relatives include a sister, Donna LaGrange Richardson, Erie; seven grandchildren, Thad Meckley, Williamsport; Mrs. Dannene (Shane) Meckley Perry, Clovis, CA; Brent Meckley, Sacramento, CA; Mrs. Ali (James) Zyzgutis, Alamo, CA; Brandon (Engla) Kolb, Flower Mound, Texas; Daniel (Erin) Kolb, Bothell, WA; Mrs. Chesney (Richard) Wheeler, Cogan Station; 14 great-grandchildren, and four nieces and one nephew.
She was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, Williamsport, and the Bonita Springs Presbyterian Church, Bonita Springs, FL; the Williamsport Hospital Medical Society and Auxiliary; (lifetime) Wheel Inn, Ralston, PA; the former Oaks Club; the Cosmopolitan Club of Williamsport; the Lycoming County Historical Society; "Citrus Park Chicks" Red Hat Society, Bonita Springs, FL.
She served as the second-ever elected woman Elder at the First Presbyterian Church, of Williamsport, where she volunteered on several committees, including the Sojouners and Women's Committee.
She did volunteer work for the Little League Baseball International Summer Baseball Camp as an RN; the Sycamore Manor; the Louisa Street Presbyterian Home, where she was a donor and founder; the Williamsport Hospital; the Franklin School PTA; the Curtin Junior High School PTA; the Brandon Park Baseball League; Bonita Springs Presbyterian Church; and on various Citrus Park Madi Gras Committees.
Ardice and her husband and their family enjoyed being members at Nygard Gap and Beaver Dam Hunting Clubs, Nippenose Valley and Germania respectively, as well as "Safari" outings with friends and family. From an early age she was a lover of the outdoors and the water, loving to swim, the sounds of the Atlantic Ocean beaches, and the riffles of the Lycoming Creek, building her Hepburnville retirement home above the family's well-known "Little Red Hen" cabin.
Architecture was another great love of hers, having designed not only her retirement A-framed home with its indoor pool for her grandchildren, but plans for a yet unbuilt dream home. She spread this appreciation to her grandchildren with Williamsport architecture and its history as her classroom and lessons. In 2005, the postcard history book "Williamsport's Millionaires' Row" was fittingly dedicated to her by her grandson, Thad Stephen Meckley, a Williamsport writer, author, and historian. Despite suffering from macular degeneration when forced to listen to books in her final years, Ardice was a lifetime ferocious reader, loving mysteries and historical-based novels best.
Local poet and close friend Grace O'Malley wrote a birthday poem to her, "Ode to Ardice ~ Owed to Ardice." This lengthy ode poem detailed her special warmth, charm and friendship with some of her many attributes, talents and tales, including fashion (hats, capes and heels her trademarks), playing cards, sewing, cooking, baking, and party planning, recorded for future generations to be measured by.
A private family internment of Mrs. Kolb's ashes will take place at the Kolb family plot in Wildwood Cemetery. Arrangements are being made by the Knight-Confer Funeral Home, 1914 Memorial Avenue.
A Celebration of Life ceremony and luncheon will take place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 4, 2010, at the First Presbyterian Church, corner of Mulberry and East Third streets, with the Rev. Sam Hwang presiding.
The family requests in lieu of flowers any memorial donations in Ardice's honor be made to the Williamsport First Presbyterian Church Deacon's Fund, www.1stpresby@comcast.net. A later donation will be made to the City of Williamsport's Brandon Park Commission for use at the children's Brandon Park Pool and memorial plantings of butterfly bushes.
