EDITH V. ALRED

passed from this life on March 31, 2020. She was born in Sweden to Anders and Anna Ostblom and was the youngest of 12 children. She came to the U.S. in 1947 along with one of her sisters, Anna who was an au pair for Swedish actress Viveca Lindfors. Edith attended the Swedish Institute School for Massage in New York City and learned to be a licensed masseuse. In the early 1950s she followed Anna and Viveca to Hollywood, California where Edith worked at the Elizabeth Arden salon. There she massaged many actresses, including Joan Crawford.

While in southern California, Edith met and married James Alred, and they had two sons. In 1961 the family moved to Arkansas. Edith spent most of her time as a homemaker and the family enjoyed her wonderful cooking and baking skills. She sewed clothes for her boys, and she also knitted sweaters, caps, and crocheted many wraps and comforters. Edith’s massage skills were only used on a referral basis, but she did provide massages for Jeanette Rockefeller during her time as first lady of Arkansas. After James’s death in 1997, Edith stayed busy as a volunteer for Baptist Health, Arkansas Hospice and Pinnacle Mountain State Park.

She was predeceased by her parents, all her siblings, husband James, and one grandson Paul. Survivors are her two sons, John (Dorris) Alred of Seabrook, Tx; Michael (Nancy) Alred of North Little Rock; grandchildren Erik, John Michael and Ben Alred, Elizabeth Meloeny, Christopher Hughes, and Meg McCarley; great-grandchildren Georgia and Sadie Cummings, and Harrison Hughes; nieces, Linda Ross and Mary Hubbard; nephews, Clarence Presley, V.C. Lugar and John Lugar. Also, numerous nieces and nephews in Sweden. A memorial service will be planned at a later date.

To sign the online guestbook, click “Add A Memory” at: www.griffinleggetthealeyroth.com.