Alice Cude

Alice Irene Cude, 91, went to heaven to be with the Lord early Saturday morning on December 26th, 2009. She was a loving wife, mother and grandmother. She died four days before her 92nd birthday. Alice was born on December 30, 1917 in Dublin, Texas in the Edna Hill community to Mary Elma and William Thomas Johnson. She grew up in the small community of Edna Hill, near Proctor, Texas in Comanche County. After graduating from Dublin High School, Alice went to a three year nursing school at Kings' Daughters' Hospital in Temple, Texas where she graduated as valedictorian of the 1940 class. She worked at Hillcrest Memorial Hospital in Waco until the bombing of Pearl Harbor in December 1941. In 1942 she joined the U.S. Public Health Service and served as a staff nurse at the US Marine Hospital in Galveston, Texas. In 1944 she was transferred to a US Marine Hospital in Stapleton, Staten Island, New York where she was commissioned as a Junior Assistant Nurse Officer in the reserve of the US Public Health Service. In January 1945 she was called to active duty in the Reserve Corps of the United States Public Health Service. On June 29, 1945 the Federal Security Agency by an executive order issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared the commissioned corps to be a military service for the duration of the present war. She served at the US Marine Hospital in Staten Island until 1947. In January 1948 she was transferred to International Airport on Fisher Island in Miami Beach, Florida where she served in the quarantine service. She attended Miami State University from February 1949 until June 1949. As a result of this training she was promoted to assistant nurse officer on December 29, 1949. She was transferred to the U.S. Marine Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana in February 1949 where she served as a staff nurse. On January 7,1950, Alice returned to civil service status at the US Marine Hospital in New Orleans after serving five years of military service as a reserve officer in the US Public Health Service. Then on July 31, 1952 she resigned from civil service and married Thomas Pat Cude on August 2, 1952. They had met at a cake sale at the Methodist church three years earlier where he purchased her cake. Being native Texans, they decided to come back to Pat's home town of Beeville and start Cude TV & Radio. Alice was a homemaker and worked with her husband in the family business. They raised three children. Through out her life, Alice was an active volunteer in many civic organizations: The Beeville Garden Club, the Eastern Star, Mothers Against Drunk Drivers, the American Heart Association, the Women's Missionary Union of the First Baptist Church, Cub Scouts, Beeville Hospital and the local prison ministry. Alice is a charter member of the Women's Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery in Washington D.C. for her military service. Alice was preceded in death by her parents, Mary Elma and William Thomas Johnson; sisters Nannie B. Louise Strickland and Blanche Ruby Johnson; brothers William Thomas Johnson, Jr., and John A. Johnson. She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Pat Cude, and children Garry Cude and wife Sheila of Cedar Park, Texas; Paul Cude of Beeville; Diann Cude Messer of Allen, Texas; and grandchildren Will Cude, Avery Cude, Chris Messer, Brandon Messer, and Allyson Messer. Visitation will be held at Galloway and Sons Funeral Home in Beeville on Monday December 28 from 1:00-8:00 p.m. Family will be present from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Funeral Services will be held Tuesday December 29th at 2:00 p.m. at First Baptist Church Beeville. Interment will be at Beeville Memorial Park.