Alice Mae Kallus, 73, of Hallettsville, passed away on February 7, 2018. She was born September 7, 1944, to Henry and Bessie Kocian of Moulton.  She was the fourth of nine children and her first years were spent in a small wooden home with a dirt floor between Shiner and Moulton.  Around age 5 her father bought a 50 acre farm with a house large enough to hold their growing family.  When Alice first saw the house on the hill she felt like a princess arriving at her castle; however, farm life was difficult and the she had to work the cotton and corn fields.  Alice often got in trouble for not pulling her weight because she was afraid of the spiders and snakes.

After graduating from Moulton High School, Alice married A.J. Kallus on November 24, 1962. They lived all over Texas; from Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin while A.J. served in the Army, to Lubbock where he completed college at Texas Tech, to Houston and Columbus, finally making their forever home in Hallettsville.  Together they had five children: Zoy, Donna, Brian, Gabrielle, and Erin.

There were many times of great pain and sorrow throughout her life:  the death of her son Brian, a terrible car accident, losing her mother to Alzheimer's disease, and the death of her grandson Daniel.  And while these moments left her questioning God's plan for her, she believed in prayer.  She taught us that prayer could calm anxiety and give us strength and courage.  She also believed in the presence of angels all around us, particularly the angels of our family.

Alice was a woman of many talents.  She was creative and artistic, which was evident throughout her home.  She often refinished furniture, created her own artwork, and remodeled every inch of the house.  Christmas was a favorite time as she spent days transforming the house and decorating multiple Christmas trees.  She was an excellent seamstress and made many of her children's clothes... everything from prom dresses, to play clothes, bathing suits, and wedding dresses.  You could show her a picture of a clothing item you liked and she would create it from scratch.  One of the family's treasures are the beautiful baptismal gowns she made for each of her grandchildren.  Alice was also an amazing cook.  She and A.J. often cooked together, and her girls inherited her love of food.  The kitchen has always been the heart of the Kallus home, and some of the best times have been spent there drinking wine and preparing meals.

Lavaca County Butane Company was the livelihood of Alice and A.J. and they worked together every day for more than thirty years.  Being in the propane business made for many long work days that often went into the night, especially in the winter.  Their dedication to their customers taught their children the importance of taking care of people and giving back to the community.  They had the utmost respect for anyone who worked hard to provide for their family, and Alice would gift propane to those who struggled to make ends meet.  No one ever went cold in the winter on their watch.  In 2009 they sold the business and retired.  Alice made the transition in ownership as easy as possible, as she kept meticulous records over the years and made sure the books were perfectly in order for the new owner.

Being involved in the community was important to Alice and she enjoyed being a leader in various organizations throughout her life.  She was a member of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority and even served as President.  In the 1980s Alice was elected to the Board of Directors for Lavaca Medical Center.  She was passionate about making the hospital a top notch facility and under her leadership as President they made many critical changes to the financial and operational aspects, as well as improved the care provided to its patients.  In later years Alice joined the Infrastructure Planning Committee and thoroughly enjoyed exploring and implementing options for improving the county facilities.  Beyond those leadership roles, Alice could be seen building a parade float for the school, coaching a summer softball team to ensure every girl had a chance to play, sitting in the front row at a church picnic in a bidding war over a quilt, or spending countless hours visiting with customers.  One of her greatest honors was receiving the Hospitality Award from the Chamber of Commerce in 1997.

Brain disease slowly stole Alice's sparkling eyes and joyful voice.  In 2012 she was diagnosed with Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD), although there were signs in her early sixties that something was changing.  FTD is a brain disease that strikes individuals in the prime of life, gradually eroding their personality: their ability to speak, make sound decisions, control their movements, behave within social norms and relate to those they love.  And while her personality gradually disappeared, her memory was still sharp; she could recall a former customer's address and never seemed to forget her loved ones.  Her final gift to her children and the world was donating her brain tissue for research.

But today we choose to remember her grace and beauty, her loyalty and compassion, her kind heart and strong will.  Today we remember a wife who was an equal partner and honored her vows to love A.J. throughout their 55 year marriage.  Today we remember a mother that loved her children unconditionally and seemed to have all the answers.  Today we remember a grandmother that believed in spoiling her grandchildren with quality time spent playing, teaching, and snuggling, rather than spoiling them with things.  Today we remember a friend who could be counted on for a fun and silly time or a listening ear.  Today we remember a steward who was a champion of all people and a giver of her talent and treasure.  Forever, we remember Alice.

She was preceded in death by her parents Henry & Bessie Kocian, son Brian George Kallus, grandson Daniel Joseph Rainosek, sister Mary Emily Machalec, and brother James Henry Kocian.

Survivors include her husband, A.J. Kallus; four daughters, Zoy Kocian and husband James of Round Rock, Donna Smith and husband Mike of Bay City, Gabrielle Kallus of Hallettsville, and Erin Hasbrouck and husband Justin of Houston; twelve grandchildren, Michael & Kiley Kocian, Lauren Lytle, Brian Rainosek, Natasha Sullivan & Gordon Smith, John, Patrick & Jacob Fields, and Julia, Max & Emily Hasbrouck; ten great grandchildren; and her siblings Lillian Manning, Vera Kocian, Dennis Kocian, Harvey Kocian, Allen Kocian, and Anita Wicke.

A special thank you to Alice's loving caregivers Jennifer Wilson, Pam Wade, Michelle LaRue, and their families.

Memorial Mass Service: 10 am, Friday, Feb. 16, 2018 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Hallettsville. Rosary: at 7 pm, Thursday, Feb. 15, 2018 at Sacred Heart Catholic Church. Officiant: Msgr. John Peters. Memorials: (In lieu of flowers) please consider making a donation to a local charity of your choosing, or to one of the following: Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration , Radnor Station Building 2, Suite 320, 290 King of Prussia Road, Radnor, PA 19087, www.theaftd.org ; Brain Support Network , PO Box 7264, Menlo Park, CA 94026, www.brainsupportnetwork.org ; or Hospice of South Texas . Burial: Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery.