The loves in Alice Nave’s life were God, her family, church, friends, and Cat Island.

Alice grew up in Cat Island and never forgot her many friends, neighbors, and family, who called Cat Island home. “It was just a small community on the southeast side of town, and about everybody who lived there were kin to each other. It amazes me the closeness of the people who lived there, and Alice fondly remembered each one of them,” said her husband, Floyd Nave.

“Alice lived on Southeast Street the first 19 years of her life and we lived on Northeast Street, 45 years,” Floyd shared. “Her home in Cat Island was about where the tennis courts are located in the Cat Island Park,” he noted.

Alice died Jan. 24 after a short bout with cancer, leaving behind her husband and two sons, Kenneth and Craig, and their families.

Just as Alice knew Cat Island like the back of her hand and the families who lived there, she knew First Free Will Baptist Church just as well. She was a long-time member of the church and since her teenage years had been a member of the Emma Williams Sunday School Class until it disbanded about three years ago due to not having a teacher. She then began attending the Volunteer Sunday School Class, and fell in love with the class, especially its cooking ministry. On cooking day, the second Monday of each month, Alice could be found in the church kitchen helping with the meals that are carried out to the elderly and homebound.

“She enjoyed cooking, and never missed a day that she didn’t cook. I can’t recall a day when she didn’t cook. Alice especially enjoyed family dinners on Sunday. Among family favorites were her chicken and dumplings; soupbeans, coleslaw, and cornbread; meatloaf, and our oldest grandson, Matt, favored her fried chicken,” said Floyd.

Although she had a number of cookbooks, Alice rarely used a recipe, but did like to try new dishes.

Alice enjoyed her family and babysit all four of our grandchildren. “She kept all four of the grandchildren and when they began school, picked them up after school and kept them until their mother or daddy picked them up. They were the joy of her life,” shared Floyd.

She was also a great-grandmother, as grandson Matt and his wife had a little girl late last year.

“Alice was a wonderful wife, and took care of our home. She enjoyed the outdoors, and growing flowers. She also enjoyed walking. Just about every evening in the summer she and a neighbor, Virgie Presnell, walked,” said Floyd.

“Several years ago when I janitored the church, she would lock up on Wednesday evenings when I worked the evening shift and she also helped me clean. She especially loved Preacher Winford and Juanita Floyd. When she had to stay and lock up, Preacher Floyd and Juanita never left until she did,” Floyd shared.

On Saturdays, Floyd and Alice liked to drive to Asheville, Boone, or some other neighboring city. Sometimes they did some shopping, other times they enjoyed the scenic drive. “We were just simple, common folks, who loved the Lord, each other, and our family. We were more than blessed in that both of our boys, our daughters-in-law, and grandchildren are all saved and in church,” said Floyd.

Alice was a friendly person. “Regardless of where we went, Alice always found someone to talk to. Some she knew, some she didn’t. She knew a lot of people,” Floyd shared.

Alice Bradshaw Nave was a quiet person, who enjoyed the simple things in life. If you needed her, she was there. She was a dependable friend, who had a smile and kind word for everyone.

And, just as sure as church time came, Alice was at First Free Will Baptist to fill her seat and worship and do whatever needed to be done.

If one word could be used to describe her it would be “faithful.”