Allene Willson Pierce
GIG HARBOR, WASHINGTON — Allene Willson Pierce was born July 5, 1930, to Fred and Violet Willson at Noonan, N.D., and she passed away on March 16, 2014, at Gig Harbor, Wash.
Allene grew up in Williston, N.D., and in Choteau, Havre and Bozeman, Montana. She graduated from Bozeman High School and was an international exchange student to England for several months. She attended Montana State University and received a Bachelor of Science degree in home economics in 1952. In March 1953, she was employed as the County Extension Agent in Miles City. In 1958-59 she was awarded a National Fellowship to Washington, D.C. and attended the University of Maryland, obtaining a Master of Science degree. She returned to Miles City as the County Agent. In May 1961, she became the Flathead County Home Economics Agent in Kalispell.
Allene married Wallace Pierce and in 1968 she and Wallace became real estate agents in Bigfork. In 1970, she returned to the County Extension office as an agent. She served as Lake County Extension Agent from 1976-86. She retired from Montana State University Extension Service in 1986.
When her husband died, she moved to Ridgecrest, Calif. to be near her sister Barbara and her family where she was an avid bridge player and enjoyed playing in tournaments.
In 2013 Allene moved to a retirement facility in Gig Harbor, Wash., to be close to her sister Linda House and her family. Allene became ill there and died of cancer on March 16, 2014. Allene’s ashes will be buried in Bigfork alongside those of her husband.
