In Loving Memory Of

Alice Louise Donovan

Mom's Story

Alice Louise Ritchie was born May 7, 1958. As a child growing up, she was maltreated by many people, even by those who were supposed love and care for her. When she turned sixteen, she left home and wed a man named George. They had two daughters, Angie and Jennifer.
Alice was also abused during her seventeen years of marriage to George. She divorced George and for the first time in her life she began to live, and live with out fear.
She met a man named Barry whom she fell in love with and married. Barry was a kind and a loving source of support so she began healing as she embarked on a journey of discovering her true self. The wilted dead flower had blossomed and with brilliant bright colors, she sparkled inside and out!
All of the people whom she came in contact with could see and feel the beauty of this magnificent woman. One just could not help but like her. What you saw was what you would get. She was one hundred percent genuine with a sense of humor that left people feeling good after having spent time with her.
During the year of 1997 Alice and Barry moved from New England to the South Carolina, Horry County area where they were going to live out the rest of their lives together. They had many goals and dreams when moving to South Carolina such as building their dream home with their own two hands.
In 1999, two years later my significant other and I (Alice’s first born, Angie) moved to South Carolina with my nine month old baby with another on the way. We moved to South Carolina so our children could be a part of my mother’s and Barry’s life and. For three years I watched my mom and my children develop a relationship, and I too began to build a relationship with my mom now that I was an adult and a mother.
In August of 2002 my sister Jennifer also moved to South Carolina with her young son for the same reasons as I had moved south. Mom began a rich, rewarding relationship with all of her grandchildren. Unbeknown to any of us, it would be a short lived relationship.
On November 14, 2002, a mere three months after my sister moved south Alice, our mother and grandmother was car-jacked and kidnapped from the Wal-Mart parking lot in Conway South Carolina, raped and then murdered by two escapee's from a Kentucky jail.
Four years later, her body still hasn’t been recovered. We still grieve her loss.

To a wonderful woman who is sadly missed!

Comments

Delilah1234 Tuesday, June 17, 2008 2:55:43 PM

I remember this so well. I live near the area and I was sure that someday your mother would be found.

I have since become active in missing persons cases, especially dear to my heart is missing mothers and the affect it has on the children left behind.

I have started 2 sites, a blog called Mothers are Vanishing http://mothersarevanishing.blogspot.com
and an interactive site for missing adults, their family and friends to use a a workspace to give attention to their cases. Some family members use this site as a support group where they can share feelings and ideas. You and your family are welcome to participate if the site would be beneficial to you.
http://peace4missing.ning.com.

I can only offer the above and my sincere sympathies at losing your mother to such violence. I am including her on my blog.

ginatinker36 Monday, July 21, 2008 10:42:11 PM

How alice is missed. There are days when I begin my morning chores, get down to the dishes part.. and pick up the phone... to call her.. and i cant. It has been a very long hard 6 years. At times it feels like yesterday and you still feel the anxiety of where she is at.. or it feels like forever where you feel deeply the loss.

I miss her ...

gina

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