Nov. 1, 1934 – Dec. 17, 2020
Alice Ruesch Bleak, age 86, passed away due to natural causes on Dec. 17, 2020, in St. George, Utah. She was born Nov. 1, 1934, in Hurricane, Utah, to Clifford and Eleanor Isom Ruesch. Her mother passed away when she was 9 years old and she became the lady of the house. Although she only had the brief influence of her mother, she was a wonderful mother to her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She graduated from Hurricane High School in 1952. She graduated from Dixie College in 1954. She graduated from University of Utah School of Nursing in 1958. In 2017 she traveled to Salt Lake City to attend the reunion of her nursing school class and was honored with all nurses who had graduated at least 50 years earlier. She loved being a nurse and used her nursing skills throughout her life to bless others. She was a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints her whole life.
Duane and Alice were married Sept. 10, 1956. When the temple president, Harold S. Snow heard they were planning to be married in the Manti Temple because the St. George Temple was closed, he was incensed! “We’re not going to have one of our own going someplace else to get married,” he announced. The St. George Temple was opened-just for their marriage-then it was closed again. It was when they got their marriage license that Alice learned the real date of her birth: November 1, 1934. Her birthday was always celebrated on Halloween. When she questioned her Dad, he admitted that she was born on Nov. 1, but used Oct. 31 as her birth date in order to get her into school a year earlier. She was 21 years old before she learned her real birthday.
Alice has lived in Utah, California, Texas, and Washington, but eventually returned “home” to Southern Utah, after her husband retired from IBM in 1987. After Duane retired, they traveled the countryside in their fifth wheel trailer with their dear friends Dave and Barbara Watkins, Roy and Ramona Lawson and Jim and Joan Ballard. They traveled abroad to the Amazon River, Africa, Hawaii, and China.
She loved the outdoors and enjoyed camping, boating, water skiing and fishing and never did catch and release. Spending time at Lake Powell was a favorite family recreational activity. In her later years she and Duane served a mission to Church’s Deseret Industries. Alice was a wonderful example of living the gospel and always tried to follow the example of Christ. She was a great example to her children and those around her by serving in the many callings in the church. Alice loved to sew and make quilts. She made all her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren Levi quilts. Later in life she took up oil painting and proudly displayed her artwork in her home.
Alice was preceded in death by her husband, Duane; parents, Clifford and Eleanor Ruesch; brothers McLaren Ruesch and DelRoy Ruesch.
She is survived by her sons, Dan (Jolynn) Blake of Keller, Texas, and Kenneth (Kelley) Blake of Roy, Washington; daughter, Susan (Michael) Wynn of Basin, Wyoming; 9 grandchildren and 2 great-grandchildren; sisters, Clara Maxwell of Glendale, Utah; Cynthia Grady of Las Vegas, NV; a brother, George (Carolyn) LeBaron of St. George, Utah.
Funeral Services will be held Monday, Jan. 4, 2020 at 11 a.m. at the Spilsbury Mortuary, 110 South Bluff St, St. George, Utah. A viewing will be held from 9:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m. before the funeral. We are requesting that face coverings be worn for the safety of everyone and limiting attendance to family and close friends due to COVID restrictions to 100 total attendance. The services will be broadcast for others interested in celebrating her life, please log in to webcast.funeralrecording.com. Type in the event number 43832 and password ARB2020. Services may be viewed up to 90 days after the service. Interment will be at the St. George City Cemetery.
The family wishes to thank the staff and owners Joel and Shauna Horne at the Beehive Homes in which she resided at the time of her passing and Deb Rozema, her nurse from Zion’s Way Home Health & Hospice. We so appreciate the love, care and compassion especially in her final days.
In lieu of flowers please donate to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Humanitarian Fund in her memory. https://philanthropies.churchofjesuschrist.org/humanitarian-services
Arrangements are under the direction of Spilsbury Mortuary, St. George, 435-673-2454. Friends and family are invited to sign her online guestbook at www.spilsburymortuary.com, https://www.facebook.com/spilsburymortuary.