Alice Katherine Van Sickle

Alice Katherine Schafer Van Sickle was born March 11, 1915 in Odessa, Washington to John J. Schafer and Mary Horst Schafer. Alice graduated high school in 1933 from Odessa High School. She was united in marriage on January 1, 1939 to Robert Lee Van Sickle and they resided in Creston, Washington for the rest of their lives. Lee and Alice completed their family with two daughters, Nancy Lee Van Sickle Todd and Alice Kay Van Sickle McGuinness. Alice spent her years as a devoted wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother. Her cherry pies were everyone’s favorite and her cherry tree still blooms and bears the much loved cherries. She volunteered and was a part of many civic organizations and served as the Town Clerk of Creston, News Correspondent for the Wilbur Register and the Davenport Times, was a Bookkeeper for Llewelyn and Llewelyn in Wilbur and was a life long member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church (Wilbur Lutheran Church). She was a role model to her daughters as she served God teaching Bible School and Sunday School and participating in Bible Studies. Alice loved crossword puzzles, game shows, and playing cards with her friends. She played games, read books and taught her grandchildren and great-grandchildren how to cook. Alice and Lee loved fishing together in the last years of his life. The last 4 years of Alice’s life she resided at Lincoln County Hospital Care Unit and Odessa Memorial Health Care Center. She passed peacefully to her Eternal Home on January 10, 2013 in Odessa, Washington. Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Robert Lee Van Sickle, her daughter, Alice Kay McGuinness, her mother and father, John Schafer, Marie Schafer Gettman, step-father Henry Gettman, brother Robert Schafer, sister Marjorie Gettman Strobridge. She is survived by her daughter Nancy Van Sickle Todd (Roy), grandchildren Richard Todd, Shawn McGuinness, Kristina Todd Wedderien (Andreas), Kathleen McGuinness Deiley (Jeff) and Colleen McGuinness McLean (Jon), and 12 great-grandchildren. Also surviving her is Alice’s sister, Helen Schafer Burkhart who will be 100 years old in February and resides in Oak Harbor, Wash. Nieces, Marilyn Burkhart VanderWerff (Duane), Joanne Burkhart Cole (Bill) and Janette Burkhart Mills and nephew Darryl Hansen (Judy) are a part of the loving family that survives as well as numerous cousins and great nieces and nephews. As a family we would like to thank Dr. Robert St. Clair and staff in Davenport and Dr. Linda Powell and staff in Odessa for the loving care and comfort that they provided in the last years of our loved one’s life. A memorial service of celebration for Alice will be held at a later date. Memorial gifts can be made in her name to Odessa Memorial Healthcare Center or Wilbur Lutheran Church. Strate Funeral Home is in charge of her arrangements.