Date of Birth: June 18, 1932
Date of Death: January 5, 2019
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our sister, sister-in-law and auntie, Alice, on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 at St. Peter’s Hospital, Melville, Sask. after recently being diagnosed with cancer. She was 86 years old.
Alice was born at Langenburg, Sask., on June 18, 1932 to Henry and Alvina (nee Maser) Rudoski, the third youngest of seven children.
Alice was baptized and confirmed at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Langenburg and completed her schooling and graduated in Langenburg.
Upon leaving home, Alice taught school north of Melville, boarding at the Jackson farm and driving a horse and cutter to school in winter each day, taking their children with her. She later taught at Fairlight, Sask.
Deciding teaching really wasn’t her life’s calling, she moved to Regina. She got a job with Canada Manpower where she worked until she retired in 1983.
Alice never married, but she was surrounded by her many nieces and nephews, whom she loved. She loved her cats — her last ones where Chrissy and Charlie, the poor old alley cat she took in.
Shortly after retiring, her father passed away suddenly, so Alice moved back to Langenburg to care for her mom, now alone and aging mother for 10 years until her passing.
In retirement as she cared for her mom, she got into doing crafts — dried flowers framed as pictures — he had the whole family picking and drying flowers. She also painted on stones and cream cans. She was very fussy about her stones, which had to be smooth and shaped just so. Her paintings were unbelievable, lifelike. She travelled to many craft shows and sales, lugging tubs of her painted stones and crafts. They were big sellers, and if we visited her before a sale, we did not get to buy even one, they were for the sales.
Alice had a great talent for writing poetry and stories. As many of her co-workers retired, she wrote a tribute to them — they were very funny and there are many of them we found. She never bragged about it.
One of her fictional stories was printed in a book called Ellery Queen, July 1977, and one of her poems in a later issue.
When her brother, Ron, got married to Sandra, she wrote the craziest song about all the animals on their farm. She had her brother, Larry, sing it. Everyone was in stitches.
In 2012, Alice moved to a Melville Housing unit. When Caleb Village was built, she moved into there and loved it — being served meals, doing puzzles with Marie and playing cards in the evenings. She also enjoyed shuffleboard once a week, when she could, at the Seniors Hall — she really liked it.
Alice had a mind of her own, and we all knew that look we would get, but she had a heart as big as Texas. As family, we will all miss you dearly, Alice.
Alice was predeceased by her parents, Henry and Alvina; sisters, Agnes (Lorne Smith) and Ester (Lou Mazurat); brothers, Clarence,Clifford (Jeanette) and Larry (Betty).
She is survived by a brother, Ron (Sandra) Rudoski; sister-in-law, Elsie Rudoski; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
At Alice’s request, there will be no funeral. Her cremaines will be interred at a later date at a private family service.
In memory of Alice, donations may be made to the Pallative Care Unit at St. Peter’s Hospital, Melville.
Arrangements were in care of Bailey’s Funeral Home, Melville, Sask
