Celebrant Pam Meily Vetter


	Celebrating Life Everyone Has A Story...

Alice Delia (Kelly) Stuart was born in St. Louis to Maude and Harry Kelly in 1912. She was the middle child between her sisters Hazel and Dorothy. The children were raised Catholic.

Harry worked as a machinist, while Maude stayed home to raise the girls. Sadly, when Alice was six-years-old, Maude died during the flu epidemic of 1918. Alice and Hazel were sent to a Catholic orphanage for a few years and baby Dorothy was sent to live with a cousin in California. Alice and Hazel were reunited with their father and stepmother, and later they were reunited with Dorothy.

In 1931, Alice's life changed when she met a young man by the name of Claude William Stuart, who was known as Red. He had traveled from Washington State to St. Louis for work as a plasterer and general contractor. They dated for two years. In 1933, she became Alice Stuart when the couple married in St. Louis, starting their life together. They soon moved west, living all over California in Long Beach, Glendale, Eagle Rock, Highland Park, and finally settling in the San Fernando Valley.

Alice and Red had similar interests. They liked socializing, playing cards, and spending time with family and friends. Her sister, Dorothy, was Alice's best friend.

The couple's greatest joy came in 1953 with the birth of their daughter, Carol. They loved being parents.

Alice kept her house immaculate and she was an amazing caretaker. She was a wonderful seamstress, making most of Carol's clothes during her school years. One of Carol's girlfriends loved one of her dresses so much, she copied the pattern to make herself one just like it.

The family celebrated holidays such as Thanksgiving and Christmas with close family, such as Red's brother, Phil. There were a few family vacations along the way to visit with extended family in Oregon and Washington.

Red worked regularly as a general contractor until he had a fall off of scaffolding. He suffered an injured spine, which led to rheumatoid arthritis. Alice was very understanding as she cared for her husband. She also worked outside the home in a pharmaceutical lab and in a nursery school to make ends meet. Red started a new career and became a watchmaker. He built up his business and opened a watch repair shop on Verdugo Road in Glendale. Alice helped him with the business. Eventually they sold the watch repair shop and moved to San Fernando in 1958, where the air was dryer and helped with Red's arthritis. After they moved to San Fernando, Alice stayed home caring for Red and Carol. When Red passed away at the young age of 53 in 1961, Alice became a single mom before it was in vogue. Alice believed that "God helps those who help themselves." So, she went back to work full-time while also taking care of her daughter. She worked in the Aerospace field for the next two decades. She was independent and a woman of strength. Even though she was working full-time, she was devoted to her daughter. She was really a great mother who never wanted to remarry or put Carol in the position of being a stepchild to a new father. She had a giving heart and her daughter came first. She also made the time to help others. When a diamond cutter, who was a friend of Red's died, she took his widow to the cemetery to visit his grave. She did nice things for people out of the goodness of her heart and felt a need to repay their kindness over the years.

Looking toward the future, Alice was at the hospital when her grandson, Matthew, was born in Van Nuys. She was thrilled to be a grandmother. By the time Matt could speak, he nicknamed her Mimi. In 1980, Alice sold the family home in San Fernando and moved north to Roseville to be closer Carol and Matt. Alice took care of Matt while Carol worked. She was a huge part of Matt's life as she helped to raise him. When Matt wanted to go to daycare with his friends, Alice would go and pick him up from daycare and bring him home. Matt remembers he was the only kid in school whose grandma stood outside of his classroom waiting for him. She had a special way of wrapping everything up, too. She even wrapped his sandwiches in a plastic bag with a rubber band on it for his school lunches. She put character into everything she did. Her life centered on Matt. As grandmother and grandson, they had a very close relationship.

As an adult, Matt appreciates how special their relationship was throughout his life. He has many memories of her treats such as her delicious iced tea and great cakes. She also lent a helping hand as she cared for the family dogs when Carol was out of town for work. She was a great help to the family. When Carol and her husband, Jerry, were going to move to Texas, Matt enrolled in the University of North Texas and Alice followed, moving two hours away to Quitman. For the two years in Texas, Matt always had a place to visit on the weekends and he loved having her home baked cookies while he was in college. Alice followed him wherever he went, watching over him.

Throughout her life, Alice had many favorites. She enjoyed music by Lawrence Welk and later in life, she liked softer songs by Elvis Presley. She also was proud of Irish heritage and liked Irish songs. She was a fan of Gunsmoke, Jackie Gleason and Red Skelton. She was a good cook making meat and potatoes, mid-west kind of meals, but she hated garlic.

While Alice was very sweet and kind, she was also outspoken and had an edge to her. In capturing her own sentiments, she had an Irish Toast plate hanging on her wall that said: May you be in Heaven half an hour before the devil knows you're dead. She had quite a sense of humor and she loved to laugh. She always joked that Jerry was her favorite son-in-law, even though he was the only son-in-law. In return, Jerry called her The Old Broad and they'd laugh as they'd tease back and forth. Alice was feisty and independent for her time and she had a lot of little funny sayings. If something didn't smell good to her (garlic), she would say the smell would knock a buzzard off a garbage wagon. If a house or room was a mess, she'd say it looked like a mad women's sh_t house. If someone was driving too fast, she'd tell them they were going faster than a striped ass ape. Or, if it was a rough ride, she'd say she was going to hell in a hand basket. She had said once that some of them were Red's sayings that she picked up over the years. With all of her sayings and her spirit in life, Alice was no shrinking violet.

She took life as it came and enjoyed every moment with her family. Alice really loved Matthew's wife, Kim. In fact, it meant so much to Matt when she said how lucky he was to have Kim for a wife and mother to his children, because she was so sweet. Alice was always prepared and when she invited Matt and Kim for dinner. She was afraid there wouldn't be enough food, so she cooked dinner for ten people just in case. As a great-grandmother, Alice made amazing choices that led to the most incredible memories. She was in the hospital delivery room for the births of her three great-granddaughters: Haleigh, Lexi, and Olivia. It was so special to have her present for those pivotal moments in life. For Kim, she was like her grandma and made her feel like a part of the family. She was caring and loved the babies so much. In fact, she would light up when she saw her great-grandchildren, because she was so happy with the girls. Kim definitely sees that the girls have a little Alice in them as well.

In 2003, the family moved Alice to a Senior Apartment Building in Auburn so she would be close by. Carol saw her every day and called her every evening to check on her.

She liked making Jerry roast and chicken fried steak from time to time and a couple of days before she passed away, Jerry told her he was waiting for her to get better so she could make him the chicken fried steak again. But most of all she liked spending time with her great-grandchildren and would help Carol babysit whenever she could. When Haliegh and Lexi were babies she would hold them for hours so Kim or Carol could get things done.

Her last words to her family were the words, "I love you." The family is grateful that she was sharp and able to live independently until a month before she passed away. Alice will be remembered as a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. She was a tough old soul with a real sweet side, who was a good judge of character. Her family was so important to her and her purpose was in raising Carol, Matthew and loving her great-grandchildren. Her advice to her family: Be strong and don't let anyone walk on you. Carol will miss her mother's presence because she was always there for her, but she will remember the smaller moments that make her smile. In many ways, she was always sharing the lessons of her lifetime with the next generation. Her young great-granddaughter, Haleigh, has found her own comfort by saying, "I'll see Mimi again when I go to Heaven because God's there. If there's a cat in a tree, God helps the cat get out of the tree."

Graveside services will be held on what would have been Alice's 97th birthday and she will be laid to rest with her wedding ring, a simple watch that her husband gave to her and pictures drawn by her great-grandchildren. In coming home, Alice will be laid to rest next her husband at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale.

Alice was preceded in death by her husband Red and her sister Hazel. She is loved and remembered by her daughter Carol and son-in-law Jerry; grandson Matt and granddaughter-in-law Kim; great-granddaughters Haleigh, Lexi, and Olivia; sister Dorothy; extended family and friends.