Alice June Qual

Alice Qual (nee Redmon), a longtime Austin resident died peacefully on February 9, 2026, at age 96 in St. Paul, Minnesota, where she had moved in recent years. Alice was born in Statesville, North Carolina, the youngest of the three children of Hulda Swenson Redmon (later Holte) and William Parks Redmon. She grew up on a farm near Bagley, MN where she fostered a love for nature, walking or skiing to school across neighboring farms. She earned a teaching certificate at Bemidji State College and taught elementary school for two years.

Alice earned a pilot’s license just before marrying her husband of 52 years, Robert (Bob) Qual. Together they raised six children, moving to Austin in 1958. A longtime champion of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, in 1987 Alice and Bob together founded a recreation center that provided social and educational opportunities for this vulnerable population, which included their daughter Nancy. The rec center operates today under the auspices of LIFE Mower County and sponsors many events and programs serving residents of Austin and Mower County and surrounding areas.

After earning an associate degree from Riverland Community College, Alice worked as a bookkeeper for the family’s business and later worked at Younker’s as a sales associate for many years. She was a member of the YMCA in Austin and exercised there several days a week well into her late 80’s. Alice was a member of St. Olaf Lutheran Church for 68 years, served on the Board of Directors of the Cedar Valley Rehabilitation Center, and Arc Mower County (now LIFE Mower County).

A lifelong learner, Alice loved to travel, study languages and read voraciously. She loved her garden and being outdoors. She also loved weather and often chose to take walks in snow or rainstorms.

She is survived by her daughters, Nancy Qual, Cathy Stypula (Gary), Shirley Qual, and Susan Nixon; grandchildren, Katy Harder (Ron), Tommy Stypula (Lorena), Alice Williams (Tyler), Annie Bearss (Max Schramm), William Nixon, and Charlie Nixon; and seven great-grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, Hulda and William; stepfather, Arthur Holte; sister, Hazel; brother, William; husband, Bob Qual; and sons Leslie and James.

A memorial service will be held at a future date. A private interment will be in Grandview Cemetery, Austin. Contributions may be made in her memory to the Qual Memorial Fund through the Austin Area Foundation, which was created to benefit individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the Austin area. Worlein-Hoff Funeral Homes are assisting the family with arrangements.