Alice Ruth Hill Worley passed from this life on Feb. 17, 2019 at the age of 95.
She was born on New Year’s Eve, 1923 at the family home near Kyle, Texas. Her parents were Walter A. and Katie Doyle Hill. She grew up in a German farming community surrounded by loving relatives and a host of good neighbors whose lives revolved around the Immanuel Baptist Church.
After graduating from Kyle High School, she attended Southwest Texas State College where she majored in Elementary Education. Her first teaching job was at a two-room country school in Hemphill community near Kyle. On cold winter days she arrived early in the morning to build a fire in the wood stove. During World War II Alice taught 4th grade in Gregory. When her fiancé, Wilburn J. Worley, returned from Air Force service in the Pacific, the childhood sweethearts were married. Their early years were spent in Smithville where daughter Kathy Faye and son Dennis were born. The family then lived in San Antonio for 43 years.
After retirement, Alice and Wilburn spent many happy years in San Marcos where they found great fellowship and a place to worship and serve at First Baptist Church. Until Alice was past 90 years of age, she boarded the church bus every Tuesday morning to go with the senior choir to sing for “those old people” at area nursing homes. She was born into a family of music lovers who found great joy in gathering around a piano to sing hymns.
In 2016 Alice moved to Austin to live with her daughter, Kathy, where she became an active member of the Austin Baptist Church family.
Alice was a woman of faith and prayer. She invested in the lives of others as an encourager giving affirmation and wise counsel. She was generous and eager to meet needs, often doing so anonymously. She was an avid correspondent sending greeting cards with handwritten personal messages. Only God knows how many casseroles, cookies, pots of soup and jars of dill pickles Alice prepared and delivered through the years. She was a great cook who loved to share with others.
We honor her memory with these words from Proverbs 31. “She is a woman of strength and dignity and has no fear of age… A woman who fears and reverences God shall be greatly praised… Her children rise up and call her blessed.”
Survivors include: daughter Kathy (Sam) Dixon of Austin; son Dennis (Karla) Worley of Brentwood, TN; 5 grandsons – Brian (Amy) Dixon of Georgetown, TX; Kyle (Cristine) Dixon of Plano, TX; Seth (Arley) Worley of Los Angeles, CA; Matt (Jamison) Worley of Nashville, TN; Ben (Caroline) Worley of Los Angeles, CA; 6 great grandchildren; her sister Faye Dozier Jarvis of Austin. Alice was preceded in death by her parents and her husband.
Her celebration of life service will be at the country church of her childhood, Immanuel Baptist Church near Kyle on Monday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m. The family will host a reception at the church after the service. A private burial will take place.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions be made to Austin Baptist Church, 7016 Ribelin Ranch Dr., Austin TX 78750 or Immanuel Baptist Church, 4000 FM 150 East, Kyle, TX 78640.
Funeral arrangements entrusted to Thomason Funeral Home in San Marcos. Please sign the online guest registry at Thomason Funeral Home's website. 512-396-2300.
