Obituary: Alice vonBuelow

Alice Cecile Rankin vonBuelow passed away in her sleep early Sunday morning, March 8, 2015, at her home in Clinton, Tennessee, at the age of 84.

She was the wife of Carl Werner vonBuelow, with whom she shared four children and seven grandchildren. She was the last surviving of seven children born to French Warder Rankin and Mary Florence Scott.

Born in Springfield, Ohio, on February 10, 1931, she was the youngest of her six siblings: Samuel Harrison, Thomas Scott, Mary Louise, Edward Hayes, Dorothy Emily, and William French. Growing up in Springfield, she attended St Raphael’s parish church and school.

After graduating from Catholic Central High School in Springfield, Ohio, she took a summer job as an office clerk for her future husband, Carl, for the Delta Sigma Phi fraternity. Alice introduced Carl to the associate pastor of St Raphael’s Catholic Church to finish his Catholic instructions. Alice was Carl’s godmother when he was baptized and became a Catholic.

In 1949, she left Springfield to attend the College of Mount St. Joseph-on-the-Ohio for women in Cincinnati, Ohio, run by the Ursuline sisters. In college, Alice was active in drama productions and studied English and education, graduating in 1953.

Alice and Carl were married in Springfield, Ohio, at St Raphael’s Catholic Church on April 25, 1954, and
began their family in southern California, where Carl had grown up. They had four children: Peter David, Carl Eric, Anna Marie, and Mary Beth (Sr. Mary Jacinta).

In the ensuing years, the family moved several times as Carl changed jobs. From their start in Pasadena, California, and then they moved to Dallas, Texas; Tulsa, Oklahoma; Springfield, Missouri; St Louis, Missouri; Lake Forest; and eventually Knoxville, Tennessee; and finally Clinton, Tennessee; where they resettled in 1996. They have been active members of St Mary’s parish in Oak Ridge since that time.

In the 1980s, when Carl started Bulow Industries, Alice returned to her first job as Carl’s office clerk (among other duties). She and Carl worked at the business together until it was sold in 1990s. At that point, they both retired together and built their home in Clinton.

Alice is survived by her husband Carl, her four children (above), and seven grandchildren (sons of Peter and Leeta vonBuelow): Jaspar, Carl, Roland, Josef, Stefan, Johannes, and Francesco. Visitation will be Wednesday, March 18, at Martin Oak Ridge Funeral Home from 6 until 8 p.m. The funeral Mass will be held at St Mary’s in Oak Ridge on Thursday, March 19, at 1 pm. followed by a reception.