Alice Louise Mills Moore
Alice Louise Mills Moore was born on August 6, 1919 in Beaumont, Texas to Morriss Collin Mills Sr and Jacque (Scott) Mills. She died July 6, 2016 at her home in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Alice was an early ground breaking pioneer without knowing it. She graduated from Beaumont High School at the age of 15 and graduated from Austin College in Sherman, Texas at the age of 19. She returned to Beaumont and applied for a teaching position only to be told that she was too young and too small to teach high school. She turned from teaching, and secured a position as Executive Secretary to the Manager of the Magnolia Refinery in Beaumont (later Mobil Oil). During the mid-1940s, she and another female friend decided they would learn to fly. They took flying lessons and completed the training. Alice had done her solo flight preparatory to receiving her pilot’s license before deciding she was not really interested in flying. At this same time, due to witnessing management and labor issues at the refinery, she decided to become a lawyer in order to be qualified to mediate the disputes. She enrolled in law school at the University of Texas in Austin in the fall of 1945. At that time she was one of only five female students in her law school class, and only lacked five semester hours completing her law degree when she decided to leave in order to get married. She married Johnny M Moore (a fellow law school student) of Colorado City, Texas in 1948 and moved to West Texas without having ever visited that locale. She fully embraced her new location, was hired as an executive secretary at a local oil company office, while also assisting her husband in his new law practice. They made many very close and life-long friends while in Colorado City.
In 1957 they moved with their two sons to Sweetwater, Texas. Alice was very active in the First Presbyterian Church in Sweetwater for the next fifty years (writing for the church newsletter even after leaving Sweetwater) while also serving two terms on the Sweetwater school board in the 1960s, and remaining very active in social, civic and educational organizations for many years. After her husband’s death in 1998, she reunited with old friends from law school and from Colorado City and traveled extensively for several years, including cruises to the Panama Canal, the Scandinavian countries, even St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as driving trips to see cousins and old friends. These trips expanded her contacts and she was on a first name basis with the On-Star operators for General Motors.
In 2008 she moved to Wichita Falls, Texas to the Rolling Meadows Retirement Community where she was a resident until her death. She even continued her membership and active involvement with the PEO even after the move, making her one of the oldest members of that organization, and continued support for the WASP (Women’s Air Service Pilots) Museum in Sweetwater.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, and two brothers (Morriss Mills Jr and Donald Mills). Survivors include two sons, Johnny Moore and wife Cindy of Olney, Texas and Steve Moore and wife Mary of El Paso, Texas; seven grandchildren, Robert Moore and wife Marie, Katie Moore, Karen Moore, Mitch Moore and wife Ryan, Jay Moore and wife Heather, Chip Daniel, and Emily DeArmond and husband Clint; ten great grandchildren, Cooper DeArmond, Payton Moore, Chloe Daniel, Alyson Moore, Cora Daniel, Madalyn Moore, Jayson Moore, Efren Cisneros, Sophia Moore, and Austin Moore (plus another one on the way); two first cousins, JoEdna Smyth and Merice Mills both of Beaumont; several nieces and nephews (all of whom she was very close to and valued immensely), and other extended family. She consistently stated that she had the two best daughters-in-law in the world and she was a special mother-in-law to them. Mary said, “she was sweet to me for 38 years”. Cindy said, “she was a great mother-in-law to me and I loved her and will miss her so”.
The family would like to especially mention her two very best friends, Kathy Dickson and Peggy Maddox, who have been like another family for Alice, and whose continued devotion and support have meant more than words can say. In addition, thanks go out to the residents and employees of Rolling Meadows and the Gables for welcoming her to the community and being such an important part of her later years, especially Tom and Joye Walling, her first neighbors and close friends.
A memorial service celebrating the life of Alice Moore will be held at a later date.
Condolences may be expressed to the family at www.lunnfuneralhome.com.