Obituary of Alice Mary Slee

Alice was born on September 2, 1919 in Fernie, B.C., the only daughter of James and Mary Lancaster. Along with her three brothers Warren, Cyrus, and Leonard, she was raised on the family farm in Grasmere, and lived most of her ninety two years in the Grasmere Valley.

Alice is survived by: her son Heath Slee (Barbara), daughter Rhodea Purvis (Rick), grandson Ryan Slee (Anita), grandson Chad Slee (Stephanie), granddaughter Allison Amsing (Robert), granddaughter Kelly Purvis, five great grandchildren Yolanda, Naomi, Maya, Lena, and Trevor.

Alice was predeceased by: her husband Trevor Slee, brothers Warren, Cyrus, and Leonard Lancaster and great granddaughter Charlotte Amsing.

During the second world war, she worked for a time at the Boeing aircraft factory in Vancouver as an aircraft Inspector. Typical of so many rural country girls during the war years, Alice sent care packages overseas and corresponded faithfully with the Canadian soldiers she had grown up with. She would later retell the many sad stories of Canadian boys and cousins from the area, who were never to return home.

Alice met her husband Trevor in 1947, and they were married September 30, 1948. Everyone was welcomed into their home, including wayward strangers who happened by, and no one would ever leave hungry. Folks raved about her apple pies and baked beans, her buns and Yorkshire pudding, her pastries, and cinnamon rolls, and treats to fit most every occasion. It was the stopping off place for hungry kids on their way home from school, as well as neighborhood dogs looking for a treat. One dog in particular, could frequently be seen lumbering home after feeding on the choicest of scraps, with a piece of toast in his mouth slathered with the fresh churned butter Alice had made from the fresh milk produced from the cows on the farm.

Alice's longevity and good health can be attributed to eating food produced in the family garden or from the forest. She loved nothing better than a fresh salad made of dandelion, purslane, or watercress.

Nothing was ever wasted, living on a farm through a depression, and a war had left an indelible impression on the value of what was earned from a hard days work. Mother's hero was Gandhi and she truly lived a life according to the principals of his teachings, "live simply so that other's might simply live".

Alice loved to read, to knit, cook, pick berries, and hike and camp in the mountains, and tell stories of the pioneers who had lived in the South Country. She told stories of humour, and sadness, of triumph and tragedy and bravely bore her burdens in this life ever so stoically.

She left us all just two and a half weeks following the death of her beautiful little Great Granddaughter Charlotte. Charlotte's big sister Yolanda explained it best on the day of her Little sister's passing when she said, "Charlotte's gone to heaven, and I will take care of her stuffies, and next, Great Grandma will be go to heaven and look after Charlotte".

Alice's wishes were that she leave this world as simply as she had entered. That there be no fanfare, and no funeral, but that we celebrate her life with a family picnic, with a few friends eating from a pot of beans, fresh baked buns and an apple pie just the way she used to make it, and to scatter her remains along the Galton range.

Alice was loved and will be fondly remembered by all who knew her.

Arrangements entrusted to McPherson Funeral Service.

Condolences for the family can be offered at:

www.mcphersonfh.com