Alice E. Onken

Alice Emilie Dreyer Onken, a woman of boundless love for her family and friends and of devout faith in the Catholic Church, fittingly departed this life on SUNDAY September 18. She probably arrived in Heaven in time for Mass. She was born on September 20, 1922, in the community of Cabeza in Dewitt County in South Texas to Basil Dreyer and Emilie Zengerle Dreyer. She treasured the memories of her time at the Cabeza School and in the community. She graduated from high school in Nordheim and moved to San Antonio where she worked for the phone company. She married Milton “Woody” Onken on November 26, 1945. They had two children Diana and David, both born in Cuero, Texas, while Woody was serving in the Army in Korea. In l951, they moved to San Antonio where Woody became a firefighter and Alice supported her church and children’s school communities at St. Cecilia’s and St. Gerard’s with her substantial talents. In l959, she “entered the medical profession” working first for Dr. Stanton of the Nix Hospital and finally Dr. Walter Walthall. These fortunate doctors and the Walthall family became part of her extended family. But her dedication to her employers never diminished her commitment to caring for her family.

The ESSENCE OF ALICE was showering her family with the bounties of her love which included holiday and special occasion dinners at their house steeped in traditions and good food; dancing on any day of the week, time of the day or in any location; taking pride in her Alsatian/German heritage and REUNIONS. It did not matter whether it was a Cabeza school reunion, a family reunion or Woody’s military reunions. No distance was too great, location too remote. Alice loved to reminisce, update and renew relations with family and friends. And in between, she stayed in touch. She was a people person. Not surprisingly in recent years when she became the matriarch of both the Dreyer and Onken families, she relished the role.

She was predeceased by Woody, her parents, and all of her brothers and sisters – Leonard Dreyer (Carrie), Mildred Arnold (Claude), Helen Woytasczyk (Newfry), and Victor Dreyer – and her niece Doris Ann Waskow. She is proudly survived by her daughter Diana Carpenter and her son David Onken (Judy) of Oklahoma City; her grandsons Jeff Carpenter (Pat), Brian Carpenter (Erica), Chris Carpenter, Price Onken (Alanna) and Reed Onken of Fort Worth; five great grandchildren, Emily, Garrett, and Kaleigh Carpenter, Wesley and Griffin Onken; her sister-in-law Mary Dreyer of Dallas, and numerous nieces and nephews and their families. Visitation will take place on Friday, September 23rd at 6:00 pm at the Sunset Funeral Home Chapel with a Rosary to be recited at 7:00 pm. The Funeral Mass will be at St. Pius X Catholic Church; 3907 Harry Wuzbach Rd; San Antonio, TX 78209 on Saturday September 24 at 11:00 am.