Alice’s parents came to the United States, separately, from Czechoslovakia through Ellis Island. They met in Chicago and wed. Alice was born in Illinois in 1931 on April 2nd. Her siblings were Helen, her older sister, followed by her younger brothers; Rudy, Al and John. They all lived in a simple, very small home with hard working loving mother. She and her sister Helen attended a school on Saturdays around the age of seven to learn the language of Czechoslovakia. The Czech language was easy for her and she used it throughout her life in speaking as well as reading it with relatives, some in Europe.
She was known for many of her younger years as Elsie, a mystery as to the origins to this very day. She loved ice skating on the local creek with her brother Rudy as her skating partner along with her sister Helen and their brother Al who partnered up.
She made friends that lasted a lifetime, literally. With them were an exchange of emails, phone calls, letters and cards. All handwritten of course. Later some of those friends would be friends of her son’s who looked forward to hearing from ‘mom’.
Alice went on to work at Public Service Company in Maywood, Illinois, later to become Commonwealth Edison, a utility company, working with a friend she still kept in touch with, in the 1950s. Word is that she walked 14 blocks from home, to catch three street cars to get to work each day. She was there one month shy of five years. She and John Belovsky were married August 11, 1951, numbering just shy of 71 years of marriage. Alice’s next adventure was to leave the utility company to join her husband, John, who was in the Army and was being transferred to Germany in 1953. Germany was a simple life living off base, washing clothes by hand and getting only the food you could eat at a sitting since they did not have a refrigerator in the ‘apartment’ they rented. There were reported instances of Alice and her girlfriends attempting to sneak across the border from Germany until at least in one instance John frowned upon that idea when he caught wind of it.
Back in the states, Alice bore four children, John Jr., David, Janice and Gary. She was a devout mother raising the four as John worked full time as a union electrician as well as part time jobs to feed the hungry mouths. In 1963 it was decided to move to California as the Chicago weather was not good to John’s liking. Sad as it were, Gary developed cancer and Alice was the determined mother taking him to so many doctor and hospital appointments too numerous to count. All the while she was cooking, cleaning, and managing Gary’s siblings while John Sr. worked many hours to deal with medical obligations for Gary. The love, medical expertise and the Lord gave Gary further years of life with his loving arms always outstretched for hugs.
Alice enjoyed camping in the earlier years, socializing, and forming friendships. She imbibed socially, with her favorites back then being Baileys, Pink ladies and another drink called the Grasshopper. She enjoyed a gym membership and as expected was committed to going as well as making more friends there.
Her family included; John Jr., (Donel), David, (Dana), Janice, and Gary (deceased). NINE grandchildren: Joshua, (Sara), Julie, Jacqueline, John III, (Bri), Shane, (Tracy), Casey, (Lisa), Brandon, Michael, (Amy), Lisa. FIFTEEN great-grand children: Madison, Jake, Tyler, Harley, Lilian, Luke, Easton, Blake, Nolan, John IV, Alexandrea, Trajan, Paige, Charlotte, Kiera. Alice is survived by her brothers Rudy and John (Linda), sister-in-law Judy and loving nieces and nephews.
Later in life John and Alice traveled to Europe, New York, Canada, Illinois and various other states which they enjoyed immensely. Age eventually caught up with Alice and she endured 23 operations and procedures. She never complained, ever stoic, and always thinking of others. Her friends would often mention that year after year Alice’s Christmas card was the first one they would receive, in the mail, handwritten.
Alice didn’t let age or disabling abilities slow her down. She was adamant to follow through with required medicines, physical therapy, cleaning and paying bills, which she hand-wrote the checks until weeks before she took ill. Her memory at 92-1/2 was unbelievably sharp as evidenced weeks ago asking the nurse to call her son and reciting the phone number from her memory. She enjoyed getting pictures of the family, grandchildren and great grandchildren, which elated her as well as hearing stories of their accomplishments. You could be in the middle of discussing something unrelated and she’d stop and ask about a grandchild; “who won the game?” Alice loved her mom tremendously and spoke to her from her heart regularly, until her last day, then joining her. She also would greet her late husband as she would walk in the door from an appointment or the store that David and John were taking her to, and smile and say hi to a large portrait of John, greeting him as well, up to her last day.
She was very patriotic, always having a flag prominently displayed and would stop immediately if she heard “The Star Spangled Banner” on the TV or radio. She donated to many causes, most notably to veterans groups. Alice kept her wits about her by her morning routine of coffee, toast, reading the morning newspaper and finishing with doing the word puzzle, in ink. Alice listened to country music, was an Elvis Presley fan and enjoyed seeing Elvis in concert. She loved Christmas, the meaning of Christmas, the songs of Christmas and the movies of Christmas. One of her favorite songs was “Amazing Grace.” Alice and family had belonged to a Methodist church in Santa Ana for many years and was a firm believer in the Lord.
Making lists for her pending tasks was important to her and she ran a tight, loving ship. She was an excellent cook, baker, and seamstress, adept at knitting, crochet, needlepoint, and ironing (a lost art). Many of these attributes have passed on to her children. Adding to her talents would be proficient at yard work, mowing lawns, and planting flowers. She especially loved peonies, lily of the valleys, lilacs and hydrangeas and the butterflies that were attracted to flowers. Lavender and blue were her favorite colors, but you’d be hard pressed to see her blue. She always said someone else has it worse. She kept smiling through. Alice was a determined lady to succeed at whatever was in front of her, whether it was some task, or prescribed physical therapy, or a chore needing to be done. She did it. She was slightly cynical but overall, an optimist and was the most kindhearted and loving.
Alice has joined her son and husband in heaven, no longer a part of this world. David and John feel very blessed to have had a mother they could talk with, share with, disagree with, share weekly breakfasts with, laugh with, and love, with all their hearts. They hope you remember their mother with the happiness and love you shared with her and to share that happiness and love with your friends and family as long as you are able. This year Alice will be sending her Christmas card from heaven. God Bless.
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