Alice Ruby Mumme Wiemers

Johann & Aalke Wiemers Heritage Site

Alice Ruby Mumme Wiemers was born in Hondo, December 4, 1929. She was the daughter of Robert Louis and Nellie Louise Brucks Mumme. She graduated from Hondo High School with honor as Salutatorian. She married Alvin John Wiemers in 1949. One of Alvin's favorite sayings was, "I made you mine in '49".

Alice was a pillar of her church and community and a staunch advocate for Texas and American agriculture. She poured her vast energy and knowledge into any project with which she was associated.

She was district president of the Methodist Youth Fellowship; was secretary at First United Methodist Church, Hondo, from 1947 to 1973; was Sunday School teacher for adult and 5th and 6th grade classes; and served in numerous leadership positions on local, district, and conference levels for United Methodist Women including Kerrville District president for four years.

She served as president of the Hondo PTA; initiated organizing the Medina County Family Life Center in 1983 to provide services for victims of domestic violence, serving as a member of the board of directors. Alice and Alvin ministered to youth at the Juvenile Detention Center in Hondo.

Active in farming and ranching with her husband, she also was an advocate for the farming industry. She was a founder of Texas Women for Agriculture in 1975 and also served as the first secretary for American Agri-Women. She was president of the Alamo Area Beekeepers Association for two years and published their newsletter for a number of years. For 16 years, she was coordinator of the Medina County Ag Fair for 4th graders, giving them an introduction to farm life and teaching them where their food originated, not just "from the grocery store." She served on the GATT (General Agreement on Trades and Tariffs) in 1978-79 and traveled to Washington, D.C. several times.

Her contributions to agriculture and farm living were nationally recognized when she was featured in The American Farmer, a photo essay book, and even appeared as a guest on the Martha Stewart show in New York City on Nov. 25, 2008.

She participated in a People to People Tour for agricultural information exchange traveling to China in 1982. She and her husband visited all 50 states, Central America, Canada, and Germany. An avid hunter like her husband, they made many trips to Alaska, Wyoming, Colorado, and Idaho.

Alice passed away July 10, 2014. She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 63 years, 11-1/2 months, Alvin John Wiemers, who passed in 2013; and brother, Stanley Louis Mumme. Alice is survived by her sons, Timothy Oren Wiemers and wife Suzan Siy Wiemers of Houston, and Mark Arlen Wiemers and wife Annie Wiemers of Hondo; grandchildren David Louis Wiemers and fiancee Tristina Zellner, Daniel George Wiemers, Jeanette Arlene Margle and husband Michael Margle, Katerina Nellie Rose Unger and husband Benjamin Unger, all of Houston; great-grandson Dawson William Wiemers; and sister Elleen Mumme Gooding of Hondo. The funeral service was July 17, 2014 at New Fountain United Methodist Church. Alice is buried next to Alvin at Hondo Cemetery, Oakwood Section.

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