Alice Settle

Alice "Shirley" (Kidd) Settle, 92, of Mount Airy, Maryland, passed away quietly at home on the morning of Sunday, July 28 leaving behind her husband and soulmate of nearly 64 years, Donald Leslie Settle, Sr. and several generations of children.

Born January 4, 1927 to Charles Mason and Annie Garnetta Kidd, Mrs. Settle was raised during the depression era in Bluefield, West Virginia where she grew up on her parents’ family farm near Beaver Pond with her siblings. She went to livestock auctions with her father and learned at an early age the value of hard work, and to sew and cook. She moved to Washington, D.C. after attending Beaver High School in the early-to-mid 1940s to become a government liaison, meeting dignitaries and escorting them to their place of business. She worked for People’s Drug Store in Northwest D.C., where she met her husband, Don (who was then in the U.S. Navy) and married him in late August 1955. She spent over 25 years as a tailor for the J.C. Penney Co. in Rockville, Maryland until she retired in the mid-1980s. She was voted one of Montgomery County’s most beautiful people for her many years of dedicated volunteer service to the community where she and her husband raised their family of 17 children in Rockville before moving to Mount Airy, Maryland in 1989.

Mrs. Settle was proud of her rural roots and ensured her family made many trips back to her hometown so that her children could learn about their rich heritage, and visit relatives and friends in Bluefield, West Virginia and neighboring sister-city, Bluefield, Virginia. She loved reflecting on the legacy her ancestors left, traversing mountains to visit her grandparents and many aunts, uncles, and cousins in neighboring Tazewell County, Virginia and across the hills of West Virginia. In addition, Mrs. Settle loved spending time at her family’s mountain cabins nearby in Pennsylvania and West Virginia where they had spent many weekends and family vacations communing with nature.

Mrs. Settle loved mentoring children, passing on her many talents, such as cooking, sewing, crocheting and knitting to her children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She made many quilts, crocheted hundreds of afghans, which she gifted out at Christmas to family friends and loved ones. She could look at a clothing design and custom make it with ease, and made several wedding gowns. With little to no notice, Mrs. Settle quickly organized family weddings, anniversaries, reunions, block parties and more.

Later in life, Mrs. Settle and her husband, Don, took many road-trips traversing the "lower 48" north to Alaska, Canada, south to Mexico, and traveled off-the mainland to the Hawaiian Islands. They enjoyed over 35 cruises which set sail to such places as the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Caribbean Islands, Gulf of Mexico, Central America, United Kingdom, and Spain, Italy, Morocco and France.

Mrs. Settle is survived by her husband, Donald Leslie Settle, Sr.; and children: Alice Doneen Settle-Raskin and her husband, Larry; John Leslie Settle and his wife, Becki; daughter-in-law, Sue Settle; Gail Brann; Christine Dove; Lorene Star Lawson and her husband, Bill; Donna Bedenbaugh; Janet Mertz, Michael Mertz and wife, Cindy; Raymond Money; Charles and Timothy Brown; plus Gary, Charles and Anita. She’s survived by many generations of grandchildren including Michael and Kim LeLeux, Jessica and Matthew Raskin, Nicole Settle; Angela Dennis; Cathleen Purcell; Scotty, Karen, and Kelly Bradshaw; Katie and Jonathan Bedenbaugh; Dustin Mertz; great grandchildren, Bob and Dianna LeLeux; Jordan Caroline Pierce; Kristen Welch; David, Hope, Dominique and Marquel Bradshaw; and great-great grandchildren, Allison Diane Sawyer, Kristina and Mason Welch, and generations of cherished family members, nieces, nephews and close friends.
Mrs. Settle was preceded in death by her parents, Charles Mason and Annie Garnetta (Roland) Kidd; sisters, Marie Keatley, Lois White, Garnetta Woodard, Rita Francis Kidd; brothers, Charles Kidd and Ray Kidd; daughter, Dianna Marnette (Scott) LeLeux, sons, Donald Leslie Settle, Jr. and Gurney Kay Blanton; son-in-law, Herb Brann; grandson, Shawn Brann; great granddaughter, Danielle Dawn LeLeux; and close family friend, Joe D. Simmons.

The family will receive friends from 6-9 PM on Friday, August 2, at Stauffer Funeral Home, 1621 Opossumtown Pike, Frederick, where services will be held on Saturday, August 3, at 10:00 AM. Interment will immediately follow at Resthaven Memorial Gardens, 9501 Catoctin Mountain Highway (US 15 North) Frederick, MD. Dr. Robert Chance will officiate with the assistance of retired pastor Frank Bishop.