Alice Beery

Alice Ilene Beery (Brown) went home to be with Jesus at the age of 84 on December 12, 2020. The oldest daughter of Eunice Myrtle Lee and Allison Clare Brown, Alice was married to Ronald Wilbur Beery for 55 wonderful years before his passing in 2015 and was his faithful partner in the ministry of Audio Scripture Ministries.

Alice is survived by four children: Annemarie (Matt), Alan (Suzanne), Donald (Susan), and Jonathan (Rika), and grandchildren Rebecca, Jemma, Evan, and Nicholas. A granddaughter, Alexandra, preceded her in death in 2015.

Alice was valedictorian at Holly High School and received post-secondary degrees from Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL, Sparrow Hospital Nursing School in Lansing, MI, and Nazareth College in Kalamazoo, MI.

Her most prominent characteristics were connecting with people and warm hospitality – preparing a meal and socializing with neighbors wherever she lived. She was a writer – poems, postcards, letters – and always seemed to send the right message at the right time. Playing the piano and appreciating beautiful music was an extension of her love of communicating.

Alice’s communication extended to a dedication to literacy. Over the years she tutored many individuals in English as a Second Language and developed life-long friendships with many of her students. She was so good with words that the only way that you could beat her at Scrabble was if she “let you win”.

With 7 siblings, Alice understood life in a large family. Her siblings described her as gracious, friendly, and someone who radiated joy, hope, and peace. She was a “big sister”, mentor and role model.

One cannot describe Alice without mentioning her love of nature. One of her favorite activities was to take leisurely walks in local parks and appreciate the beauty of plants, flowers, and trees. This love of nature extended to making hand-made paper and cards with beautiful, pressed flowers designed specifically for the recipient of the card.

And most importantly, her faith in God was central to who she was. She found strength and encouragement as she read and studied the Bible. You could not spend five minutes with her without hearing about scripture she had read or what she saw God doing around her. She will be dearly missed by her family and all who knew her.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 12, 2021, at Fellowship Reformed Church, 6610 36th Ave., Hudsonville, with Rev. Jeremy Visser officiating. Relatives and friends may visit the family at the church one hour prior to the service. There will be a private family burial at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Audio Scripture Ministries.