Alice Marie Prasatik

Alice Marie Prasatik, age 94, left us to be with our Lord on September 22, 2007. She was born in 1913 to Annie and Joe Wychopen in Hillje, TX, a community near El Campo. She spent most of her childhood and graduated from high school in Taylor, TX. After attending the University of Texas in Austin, she became an elementary teacher in a community outside of Fayetteville, TX. For 2 consecutive summers, she taught the Czech language at a Catholic parochial school in Galveston, TX. She met her future husband, Raymond, while both were students and members of the Czech Club at U.T. They were married on October 16, 1933 in Hillje, TX. While raising her young children and during WW II, Alice operated a day care for children in her home free of charge so the childrens' mothers could join the workforce. She also graded papers for enlisted men who aspired to become officers in the military. Alice worked for 27 years at the Texas State Health Department as a statistician in the Maternal and Child Health Division making many business trips to check on child welfare clinics throughout the state. She also worked recording and filing birth certificates. Alice was a lifelong member of the KJZT Society #93 where she was an officer, historian, and delegate for their state conventions. She was also a member of St. Austin's Catholic Church having served on the parish council there and parent supporter of Newman School where her children attended. She was also a member and co-founder of the Austin Ethnic Folk Festival and a charter member of the Austin Czech Historical Association. In addition, she was a member of KJT Society #1, the Czech Ex-Students Association of Texas, the Senior Activity Center, AARP, and the First African Violet Society of Austin. After retirement, she began cultivating several varieties of African violets in her home. Her passion and dedication to this hobby resulted in her winning numerous blue ribbons at African violet shows held semi-annually at Zilker Gardens. For many years, Alice worked tirelessly to increase awareness of the Czech heritage in Texas, including appearing in authentic Czech costume to speak at elementary schools on their observance of their ethnic heritage days. She received numerous accolades for her contributions to the ethnic history of Texas including a personal letter from the Governor of Texas. She dedicated many hours of service for years to assure the success of the Czech booth she "manned" at the Austin Ethnic Folk Festival at Fiesta Gardens and later for Austin Aqua Fest at Auditorium Shores. She decorated the booth with Czech artifacts and gave Czech coloring books to the children, enticed volunteers to help work the booth, helped supply authentic Czech meals, and wrote articles for the newspapers and other media advertising Czech night at the Aqua Fest. She made 3 trips to her mother's homeland of Czechoslovakia (Czech Republic). Alice was preceded in death by her parents, brother, Harold (Harry) Wychopen, loving husband, Raymond, who died in 1999 after 65 years of marriage, and an infant son, Edward Ralph. She is survived by her 6 children: Virginia Rae Thomas (now known as Ginny Prasatik) of Austin, TX, Mary Anne Brown and husband, Nash, of Carrollton, TX, Sylvia Gail Ethridge and husband, Frank, of Ft. Collins, CO, Margrette Alice Billingsley and husband, Cliff, of League City, TX, Robert (Bob) Earl Prasatik and wife, Becky, of Cedar Park, TX, and Sherilynn Kay Cole of Llano, TX. She is also survived by her 14 grandchildren, 7 great-grandchildren, and 2 great-great grandchildren. Alice will be remembered for her undying love for her family and babies; strong Catholic upbringing and faith; steadfast support of her Czech heritage and culture; her kindness, compassion, and gentle spirit; her friendliness, generosity, leadership, vitality, humor, story telling, creative handiwork, strudel and kisses baking; piano and organ playing; canning jellies and pickles; cultivating African violets; and attending plays, concerts, and Czech festivals and banquets. Alice instilled in her children an appreciation of music, theater, and art as well as a sound moral character and helping others. A Rosary will be held at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 27, 2007 at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. A Funeral Mass will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Friday, September 28, 2007 at St. Austin's Catholic Church. A funeral luncheon provided by the funeral ministry will follow the service in Hecker Hall across the courtyard from St. Austin's Catholic Church. Entombment will follow at Assumption Mausoleum on IH35. Serving as pallbearers will be grandsons John and James Thomas, Bill Brown, and Patrick Billingsley. May she rest in the peace and tranquility of paradise with God, the Blessed Mother, all the angels and saints, her parents, brother, husband, infant son, relatives, and friends who preceded her. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to the Texas Czech Heritage and Cultural Museum in La Grange, TX. Make checks payable to TCHCC, P.O. BOX 6, La Grange, TX 78945-0006. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com