Alice Ruth Hale

Alice Ruth Hale was born on Oct. 27, 1936, in Laneburg, Arkansas. The eldest child of nine to Goldberg “Jim” Brown and Mary Elizabeth Henry-Brown.

Alice, at a young age, worked at various jobs to help substantiate the family finances. She was a nanny, seamstress, cook, hairstylist, and mother to her younger siblings. Soon moving from Laneburg, Prescott, then Okolona, AR. At Okolona, she found the love of her life, Hosie James Hale. On Dec. 25, 1959, Hosie and Alice became husband and wife. After marriage, Alice became a mother to her four children. Kenneth Hale, Garland Hale, Kathy Hale-Day, and Israel Marquez.

Alice was a sweet, loving, humorous, and generous woman. She was a great narrator and with her stories she would leave you laughing hysterically and practically in tears. Alice loved to travel, watch TV, eat, shop, and enjoy being around her family. She especially loved sewing dresses, clothes, and quilts on her sewing machine. She had dreams of being a great fashion designer, but being a wife and mother was her greatest dream of all. Alice loved to travel with her family to Portland, Oregon, Bristol, VA, and Del Mar, California to just name a few cities. In each city that Alice would travel to, she would always grab a souvenir to remind her of her great adventures.

While at home with her husband, Hosie, she would watch Lifetime, and her all-time favorite movie, The Color Purple. She was a top chef. She would cook pies, cakes, cabbages, fried chicken, and her famous lemon pound cake. On Sunday mornings, she could not wait to show off her new Sunday best to her best friend, Willie B. Swank. She truly enjoyed hearing the word of God and listening to her all-time favorite Gospel group, the William Brothers. This beautiful, courageous, strong black woman was a force to be reckoned with. Always teaching her grandchildren, and great-grandchildren songs, and speeches to honor the Lord.

As her health began to fail, she took residence at the Spring of Hillcrest Health and Rehabilitation Facility in Prescott, AR for six months. She never waived from her faith and belief in our Lord Jesus Christ even while her health was declining.

On Thursday, August 15, 2024, Alice departed from her earthly home to a new glorious home not made by man. She was preceded in death by her parents, Goldberg and Mary Brown, and her siblings, Benjamin, Bernice, and Betty. Also, her beloved son, Garland Hale. She leaves to cherish her precious memories, her husband of 65 years, Hosie J. Hale. Her sisters, Laura Gulley of Hope, AR, and Linda Burson of Moreno, California. Her brothers, Charles Brown of Rockford, Illinois, and Herman Brown of Los Angeles, CA.

She leaves behind her precious children, Kenneth Hale, Kathy (Shufford) Hale-Day, and Israel (Jasmine) Marquez of Okolona, AR. Her grandchildren, Kenneth E. Hale Jr of San Antonio, Texas, Simone Day of Arkadelphia, AR, and Kharisma Day and Shufford J. Day of Okolona, AR. Her great-grandchildren, Tyler and Davi Hale, Demarion Delmar, Kymbella Day, Saiya Smith, Gracen McFadden, and Dorian Delmar, and a host of nieces, nephews, cousins, family, and friends.

Services are under the direction of Mitchell Funeral Home of Arkadelphia, AR. Funeral services were Saturday, August 24, 2024, at First Baptist Church- Okolona, AR.