Alice Ethelyn (Harding) Hesket

Alice Ethelyn Hesket, 93, passed away Wednesday, November 23, 2022, surrounded by her family. 

Funeral services will be at 10:00 A.M. Saturday, November 26, 2022 at the Shelley Family Funeral Home of Arkansas City with graveside following at Tannehill Cemetery. Visitation is scheduled from 4-6 P.M. Friday, November 25 at the Shelley Family Funeral home. Memorial contributions may be made to the Slate Valley Baptist Church, donations may be left in the care of the funeral home. 

Alice Ethelyn (Harding) Hesket was born March 13, 1929 in Yates Center, Kansas to Percy Robert and Harriet Elizabeth (Fitch) Harding. She was the youngest of six children. The family moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico when she was five, and returned in about three years to live across from Mt. Hope Church, rural Arkansas City. She graduated from Arkansas City High School in 1946. She worked at the Peacock Shop in the Osage Hotel during high school, and she had a room at the Chaplin’s home to be in town for school.

She met her spouse, Donald Vernon Hesket, while walking down the sidewalk with her friend Ruby. Alice always said she married Don for his car, a 1938 Ford Roadster with a rumble seat. They were married November 19, 1946. Three children were born to this marriage, Edward Kent, in 1948, Terry Lynn, in 1950, and Carol Wain, in 1953. The family moved to Grandpa Condit’s farm 4 miles North of Ashton, Kansas in 1952 and lived there until 2018 when she moved to Winfield, where she spent the rest of her days. She spent most of her life feeding people; farm hands, neighbors, and family. She was a member of Slate Valley Baptist Church, rural Oxford.

She worked at the monument company and then at Dwight's Clothing Store in Wellington, Kansas during the late 80’s into the 90’s. She led the music at Slate Valley Baptist Church for many years and the kids at Bible School loved the songs she taught them. She and her sister Pauline often sang together.

 Alice is survived by her daughters, Terry L. (George) Whitfield of Winfield, Kansas, Carol W. (Philip) Brown of Arkansas City, Kansas, granddaughters; Stephanie (Mike) Murphy of Pooler, Georgia, Janelle (Nickolous) Logan, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee, grandsons; John (Kristina) Post of Andover, Kansas, Evan Brown, Hendersonville, Tennessee, Ethan (Charron) Brown of Winnsboro, South Carolina, step-grandchildren; Christopher (Roxanna) Whitfield of McKinney, Texas and Amy (Jerad) File of Mulberry Grove, Illinois, great-grandchildren; Celia Murphy, Bryson Post, Eily Logan, Charlotte Logan, Israel Brown and Lydia Brown, step-grandchildren; Katherine Whitfield, Eleanor Whitfield, Jeri Adele File, Amanda File, and Joshua File; sister, Jennabelle Crow, brother, Robert (Madeline) Harding.  She is preceded in death by her husband Donald Vernon Hesket, her son Edward Kent Hesket, brother Herbert Harding, and sisters Florence Meadows and Pauline Baber.

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