Alice Marie Cheek, age 86, of Corbin, Kentucky passed away on Tuesday, October 6, 2026. She leaves behind three children, Michael Strange & wife Pamela of Barbourville, KY, Sarah Roe & husband Pete of Jeffersonville, IN, Jim Cheek & wife Tina of Barbourville, KY; four grandchildren, Dr. Samantha Spraggs & husband David, Tabitha Strange, Liz Torstrick, Katie Cooper; two great grandchildren, Hattie Laythe & Evelyn Cooper; three siblings, Wilma Gray & husband Tom of Barbourville, KY, Shirley Beamer & husband Bob of Loveland, OH, Evelyn Gray of Charleston, IN; plus a host of nieces, nephews and other family and friends to cherish her memory.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Jim E. Cheek; her parents, General Lee Carnes & Axie Baker Carnes; twelve siblings, Leonard Carnes, James Carnes, Bob Carnes, Silas Carnes, Kenneth Carnes, Ruby Locke Ely, Mary Ellen Akers, Opal Martin, Doris Asher, Genny Gregory, Lorene Ward, Pauline Bright; and by her brother-in-law, J.L. Gray.
Alice was a loving homemaker and a woman who could truly do it all. She was a devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and beloved member of her family who found great joy in caring for the people she loved. Her family was her greatest treasure, and she poured her heart into making a warm, loving home for them.
Alice was an incredibly talented and well-rounded woman. There seemed to be nothing she could not make or accomplish. She loved to crochet and could crochet just about anything she could imagine. Her creativity even extended to making clothes and furniture for Barbie dolls. She had a gift for working with her hands and took great pride in everything she created.
She enjoyed shopping for clothes, baking delicious treats, gardening, and tending to her flowers. Her carrot cake and stack cake were especially loved and will undoubtedly be remembered by her family for years to come. Alice also enjoyed preserving food and making sure there was always something good put away for her family. She had a way of taking care of things the old-fashioned way, doing whatever needed to be done and doing it well.
Alice also had a love for restoring furniture, taking something old or worn and giving it new life. She was a woman who appreciated hard work and took pride in doing things right. Whether she was in the kitchen, garden, craft room, or working on a piece of furniture, she gave every task her very best.
Her faith was another important part of her life. Alice loved reading her Bible and found comfort and strength in God’s Word.
Those who knew Alice will remember not only her many talents but also her strong personality and wonderful sense of humor. She believed in raising her family right—and if someone needed a little correction, she wasn’t afraid to give them a good whooping with whatever she happened to find! Those moments, while perhaps not appreciated at the time, will become some of the stories her family smiles about and tells for generations.
Alice Cheek leaves behind a legacy of love, hard work, creativity, faith, and countless memories. She was the kind of woman who could make almost anything, fix almost anything, and take care of almost anyone. Her family will forever cherish the things she taught them, the things she made with her own hands, the food she lovingly prepared, and most of all, the love she gave so freely.
She will be deeply missed, but her memory will live on in the hearts of all who were blessed to know and love her.
The family would like to extend their heartfelt appreciation to the staff of The Heritage for the wonderful care they gave to Alice and her roommate, Mrs. Joann Lay.
A funeral service honoring Alice Marie Cheek will be held on Friday, October 9, 2026 at 1:00 p.m. in the chapel of House-Rawlings Funeral Home. Interment will follow at Hammons Cemetery in Flat Lick, Kentucky. The family will receive friends on Friday beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the service hour, also at the funeral home. The family has entrusted House-Rawlings Funeral Home with the arrangements.
