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 George Finley's wife, Alice Finley was a petite lady with sparkling
eyes and a quick grin. She loved a good joke, and was George's
favorite audience when he decided to entertain. She would laugh
until tears rolled down her cheeks as he teased and joked with friends
and relatives at their home in the country outside of Ashland.
Auntie Al was Queen of the Quilts, and she and George started Country
Charm Fabrics over 25 years ago in the remodeled barn behind their home on
Montgomery Township Road. When they expanded, their daughter Cindy
joined Alice in the shop, and it grew into a thriving business.
People came to Country Charm Fabrics to learn how to quilt and just to
talk and enjoy the "country charm" that made Auntie Al famous. Auntie Al was a fantastic cook, and her garden
every summer produced the sweetest strawberries around. We'll all
miss Auntie Al at the reunion this year, but her cheerful laugh and
sweet spirit will never leave our hearts. We love you and miss you, Auntie
Alice.
Amy Doggett Burns writes:
As all of you may know, we (her grandchildren) called her Gio
(pronounced ghee-o). When I was in college, I went to Tennessee with a
friend of mine over Fourth of July weekend. She and her parents tried
to teach me how to water ski, but after literally 50 tries, my efforts
were in vain.Upon returning to campus, I made
arrangements to go home the following weekend. I was dropped off at the
Fabric Shop, and as usual, was greeted with a big smile, a kiss and hug
from Gio. I began to tell Mom (Cindy) and Gio about the whole water
skiing incident and how exhausted and frustrated I was about not
learning. Gio looked me in the eye and with a straight face said,
"Honey, the only thing I ever got out of water skiing was a 500 yard
douche!" That was the most shocking statement I had ever heard out of
her mouth. I remember staring at her with my mouth dropped open, not
knowing what in the world to say. I didn't know whether to laugh or be
offended! She just laughed and laughed, with that full-body chuckle she
was famous for.
I miss her greatly. But she comes to see me in my
dreams occasionally, and lets me know she's still with us. God blessed
us to have had her in our lives. I am proud to have been given the
opportunity to be her granddaughter. She was a classy lady, and no one
will ever be able to make an impression on me as she did.
Here are a couple of famous quotes I remember Gio for:
"Treat people with kindness, because it makes them feel
like shit!"
"The customer may not always be right, but they're always
the customer!"
If you have a memory or story about
Auntie Alice Finley, email it to
Marla to add to this
page.
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