Alice Catherine (Divan) Priest Stewart passed from this world on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021, at Franciscan Health Lafayette East. She resided in Crawfordsville.
Alice was born Oct. 6, 1933, near Collison, Illinois, the youngest child of Jesse William and Bessie Catherine (Stump) Divan. They precede her in death, along with siblings, James Divan, Alfred Divan, Clarence Divan, Estella (Divan) Priest and Inez (Divan) Mills. She grew up in Catlin, Illinois, and attended Catlin schools.
On May 28, 1955, Alice married Walter “Porky” Earl Priest of Danville, Illinois, in South Bend. They resided in Indianapolis and had one child, Mark Lewis Priest. Walt passed June 8, 1980. She then married Orvel Stewart of Alamo, and he passed in 2016.
While living in Indianapolis, Alice was quite the seamstress, sewing wedding dresses and, every May, making all sorts of black and white apparel for her neighbor who worked at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hotel. She also enjoyed making quilts and other clothing.
Alice and her husband, Orvel, spent many winters in Florida and made life-long friendships with several other snow birds. Later in life, at her home in Crawfordsville, she loved gardening, especially growing cucumbers, and making dill pickles. She canned all sorts of vegetables and sauces. She enjoyed cooking new recipes and still cooked her evening meals. She loved dogs and owned several over the years, but none was as special as her baby, Rosie, her beloved Jack Russell Terrier.
Alice is survived by son Mark L. (Sandi) Priest; two grandchildren, Markus S. Priest and Sadie M. Priest; step-son William (Patricia) Priest; and many nieces and nephews, greats, great-greats and great-great-greats, who enjoyed visiting with her so much.
She enjoyed being around young people, and could tell you the birthdates of all her nieces and nephews. Her memory was exceptional. She was a life-long Republican and was a great supporter of President Donald Trump. She was an avid reader, and in later years, enjoyed audio tapes of books.
Alice will be buried beside her beloved husband, Walt “Porky” Priest, at Spring Hill Cemetery and Mausoleum in Danville, Illinois. Graveside services will be held at 1 p.m. CST Friday, Jan. 22. The Rev. Vernon Dowell of Crawfordsville will perform the service. Sunset Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Danville, Illinois, 3940 N. Vermilion St., Danville, Illinois, is in charge of arrangements.
Please join Alice’s family in sharing memories and photos on her tribute wall at www.sunsetfuneralhome.com.
