Alice Blakely, 92, passed away July 22, 2010, at Cedar Village Long Term Care. Ness City, KS. She had been there for the past three years.

A life long resident of Beeler, KS, Alice was born August 25, 1917 to Charles and Lizzie Lakey Watson. She attended Beeler Grade School and graduated from Beeler High School in 1934.

She married Frank Blakely on July 15, 1937, in Wichita, KS. To this marriage was born 8 children, Charles Frank, deceased; Max, Beeler, KS; Glenda Roane, Ness City, KS; Jimmie, Albuquerque, NM; Terry, Beeler, KS; Bobby, Beeler, KS; Lila Wilson, Santee, CA; and Judy Bleumer, Wright, KS. She had 8 grandchildren, 17 great grandchildren and 7 great great grandchildren.

Alice was a loving Mother and homemaker and helped Frank with the farming. She loved to garden and loved farm animals. Also, she raised a lot of chickens, ducks and geese. Each year she would buy 200-250 baby chickens to raise and half of these were cleaned and put in the freezer to eat throughout the rest of the year. She also did a lot of canning of fruit and vegetables that were stored in the storm shelter.

Alice also did a lot of sewing, using chicken feed sacks to make dish towels, and bed sheets. Mending of the children's clothes also required considerable time. She enjoyed cooking, especially baking pies, cakes, bread, and making homemade candy and ice cream.

In 1946, Frank and Alice bought a farm southwest of Beeler in Lane County. All the children were raised here and attended school in Beeler, until the school was closed in 1966. Frank and Alice were big supporters of the Beeler School activities, attending most activities and traveling to out of town events.

Alice was a member of the United Methodist Church in Beeler, and was active in supporting the children's 4-H and school activities.

In their later years, Frank and Alice enjoyed vacationing in their "Winnie" motor home. They would often vacation with the Curtis Blakely, Leland Blakely, and Gerald Birney families throughout the western part of the US and even into Canada.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Mr. And Mrs. Charles Watson; sisters, Ivy Day and Mable Stull; brother Charles "Bud" Watson; husband Frank Blakely and son, Charles Frank all of Beeler, KS.

Funeral services will be Monday, July 26, 2010, 10:00 AM at the United Methodist Church with Pastor Warren Hett presiding. Friends may call at the funeral home on Sunday from 10AM until 9PM.

The family request that memorials be given to the Beeler United Methodist Church, Beeler, KS, or to Cedar Village Long Term Care, Ness City, KS.