Obituary of Alice Ward-Raines

Alice Margaret (Ward) Raines, age 92, of Limon, Colorado and formerly from Seibert, Colorado, passed peacefully on Friday, November 15, 2013. Alice was born May 13, 1921, to Albert and Rosa Onley, in Ocean View, Norfolk, Virginia. At age 6, the family moved from Washington D.C. to Los Angeles, California. Alice loved to talk about the two week trip traveling across the country, on mostly dirt roads and eating what they could find in the small towns along the way. While attending Alhambra High School, Alice worked as a babysitter for several well-known movie stars in Hollywood. After Graduating high school in 1939, she attended the nearby business college. In 1941, Alice and several of her girlfriends attended a U.S.O. party at a Park in Beverly Hills; there she met Elvin Ellis Ward, and Army enlistee. The two ended up spending the entire day together and planned their second date for December 7, 1941. The date was canceled because of the bombing on Pearl Harbor that day and Elvin was quickly transferred to the 87th Battalion at Fort Lewis, Washington. The summer of 1942, Alice and Elvin were engaged and married that December. In 1943, Alice lived in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, while Elvin was training as a Ski Trooper in the 10th Mountain Division, at Camp Hale, near Leadville, Colorado. In 1945, the 10th Mountain Division was sent to fight in Northern Italy. Alice remained at Elvin’s family farm in Kansas until his return from the war later that year. In 1947, Elvin and Alice moved from California to south of Seibert, Colorado, where they farmed and raised their five children. In 1964, the family moves to Limon, Colorado. Elvin worked as manager and Alice worked as bookkeeper at Limon John Deere. Alice continued to work there, after the passing of Elvin in 1976, until she retired. Alice married Benjamin Raines, in 1983. They live in Ben’s big house on the corner of F Avenue and 7th Street for a couple years until moving to D Avenue. After Ben’s passing in 1991, Alice felt the house was too large and moved back to her small home on F Avenue. In 2006 she moved in with her daughter Linda near Limon. During her retirement years, Alice loved to travel and was happy to share the adventures of her trips to Israel, Europe, South American, Alaska, and many other places around the world. She played canasta with a group of ladies, participated in Hub City Senior events, and was a devout member of the United Methodist Church for over 49-years. Alice is survived by; daughter Margaret Masias (Ray) of Pueblo, Colorado and his children; son Charles Ward (Jean) of Dover, Idaho, their children, Tami, Michael, and Scott; daughter Linda Olsen of Limon, Colorado, her two sons David (Sherri) Olsen, four children, Berkley, DaCee, Lexington, and Gage - Bradley (Tanya) Olsen daughter Kazley; son Eldon (Judy) Ward of Fort Collins, Colorado, their children, Chris (Megan) Ward daughters Audrey and Zelda – Audrey (Tim) Scheck son Alexander; son Daniel (Gretchen) Ward of Albuquerque, New Mexico, their children Rebecca and Patrick. Alice is preceded in death by her parents; husband Elvin E. Ward; sisters Mabel and Marjorie; brother Albert Jr; and husband Benjamin Raines.